Crimea Under Occupation

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Database of Russian Missile and UAV Attacks on Ukrainian Regions from the Occupied Crimea in January 2024

28 February 2024
In January 2024, the Russian Armed Forces (RAF) continued to strike all of Ukraine, using the temporarily occupied territory (TOT) of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (ARC) and the adjacent Black Sea as launchpads for strike and reconnaissance drones, and cruise and ballistic missiles. As predicted, Russia has increased the share of Shahed-136/131 attack drones in its strike arsenal, primarily due to the start of its mass production within the country
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Database of Russian Missile and UAV Attacks on Ukrainian Regions from the Occupied Crimea in January-December 2023

21 January 2024
Over the 12 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 230 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (no launches registered since September 25, 2023); at least 1250 Shahed-136/131 UAVs launches, not including those launched from the Russian regions; 62 Iskander ballistic missiles and 25 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles. The Monitoring Group of the BlackSeaNews and the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies Based on the results of our own monitoring presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-December 2023.
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A database of attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles on the territory of occupied Crimea and Russian ships in the Black Sea in January-December 2023

15 January 2024
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews, based on the results of its own monitoring, presents a database of attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles on the territory of occupied Crimea and Russian ships in the Black Sea in January-December 2023. From January to December 2023, i.e., over 365 days, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out at least 184 attacks on targets in Crimean peninsula and Russian Black Sea Fleet, averaging one every other day.
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Database of Russian Missile and UAV Attacks on Ukrainian Regions from the Occupied Crimea in January-November 2023

26 December 2023
Over the 11 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 230 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (no launches registered since September 25, 2023); at least 750 Shahed-136/131 UAVs launches, not including those launched from the Russian regions; 62 Iskander ballistic missiles and 25 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles. The Monitoring Group of the BlackSeaNews and the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies Based on the results of our own monitoring presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-November 2023.
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A database of attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles on the territory of occupied Crimea and Russian ships in the Black Sea in January-November 2023

22 December 2023
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews, based on the results of its own monitoring, presents a database of attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles on the territory of occupied Crimea and Russian ships in the Black Sea in January-November 2023. From January to November 2023, i.e., over 334 days, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out at least 168 attacks on targets in Crimean peninsula and Russian Black Sea Fleet, averaging one every other day.
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A database of attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles on the territory of occupied Crimea and Russian ships in the Black Sea in January-October 2023

07 November 2023
From January to October 2023, i.e., over 304 days, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out at least 155 attacks on targets in Crimean peninsula and Russian Black Sea Fleet, averaging one every other day. Among those: in Sevastopol – at least 37 attacks, or 24%; on BSF ships at sea – at least 19 attacks, or 12%; in Yevpatoriya, Saksky, Chornomorsky and Rozdolnensky districts (Western Crimea) – at least 25 attacks, or 16%; in Dzhankoy region— at least 14 attacks, or 9%; in Feodosia region – at least 12 attacks, or 7.6%; on Kerch Bridge – at least 4 attacks.
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The transfer of cultural property in a wartime and the factor of the occupied Crimea

11 October 2023
Rule 41 of customary international humanitarian law states that the Occupying Power must prevent the illicit export of cultural property from occupied territory and must return illicitly exported property to the competent authorities of the occupied territory. However, the Russian Federation deliberately violates the provisions of international law and implements a state policy in the occupied territories of Ukraine aimed at destroying Ukraine's cultural heritage. Russia has organized the illegal large-scale export of cultural property from Ukraine. The organization of the illegal trafficking of cultural property from Ukraine is an element of Russian state policy.
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Russia's use of the territory of occupied Crimea for aggression against Ukraine and creating a threat to the countries of the region in 2023

03 October 2023
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews, based on the results of its own monitoring of Russian missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks on the regions of Ukraine from the territory of occupied Crimea in January-September 2023, publishes an analytical report and forecasts about further use by Russia of the occupied peninsula’s territory for aggression against Ukraine and creating a threat to the countries of the region in 2023. We hope that our experts’ opinions, conclusions, and forecasts will clearly demonstrate to politicians, diplomats, analysts, and journalists in countries supporting Ukraine's struggle against the Russian invasion that without the liberation of Crimea, it is impossible to talk about victory in this war.
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Database of Russian Missile and UAV Attacks on Ukrainian Regions from the Occupied Crimea in January-September 2023

01 October 2023
Over the first 9 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 230 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – totaling 26 missiles monthly – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, whose main base is in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, 590 – 65 monthly —Shahed-136/131 UAVs, 40 Iskander ballistic missiles and 17 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles. The Monitoring Group of the BlackSeaNews and the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies Based on the results of our own monitoring presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-September 2023.
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Peculiarities of the 2023 Crimean Holiday Season — a «Tourism» in Camouflage

21 August 2023
The gigantic 3-fold surge retail trade turnover in Crimea and Sevastopol in early 2023 was due solely to the presence of a huge number of Russian servicemen, i.e. men with a healthy appetite. The vast majority of "new Crimean tourists" in 2022-23 are wearing Russian army camouflage. There is also a "new medical tourism" -- that is, treatment and rehabilitation of thousands of wounded soldiers who now use previously civilian hospitals, as well as a "human shield" made of the children vising Artek.
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Crimea During the Great War. Part 2. Extreme Tourism or «New Types of Tourism» and Tourist Numbers (2)

06 August 2023
One doesn't need to be a tourism professional to comprehend the fundamental incompatibility of tourism and military operations. So, to understand the realities of Crimea’s 2023 tourist season, it’s enough to read the list of unmanned air and sea drone attacks on Crimean military targets between June 1-July 30, 2023 and look at the tourist instructions on passing the Kerch Bridge inspections, with 10 of them directly impacting automobile and rail transportation.
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Crimean Titan: Under a Russian Holding or a Ukrainian Tank?

21 July 2023
The Crimean Titan may become part of a large titanium holding company being created in Russia by the companies closely affiliated with the Rotenberg brothers or a «fallen hero» holding back the Ukrainian offensive. Either one of the diametrically opposed scenarios is a real possibility in the near future. In any case, in recent months, Crimean patriots have been regularly reporting that Russia has been taking steps to turn the Crimean Titan into a fortification on the path of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Since May this year, Ukrainian officials have been also voicing such opinion.
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Crimea during the Great War. The situation in the occupied Crimea in 2022-2023. Military Context (1)

12 June 2023
Since February 24, 2022, the Crimean peninsula has acquired a new pivotal function — that of a Russian military foothold. In early 2022, Crimea developed the following new role and specifics of the frontline region. Since mid-2022, the war has come directly to Crimea. The events of the second half of 2022 have effectively transformed the Crimean peninsula from being a frontline region of the winning army to a frontline region of a limited combat operations of the losing army. By 2023, all that created in and around the occupied peninsula a fundamentally new atmosphere of expectation of an upcoming Ukrainian offensive on Crimea, which now affects all areas of life there.
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Database of Russian Missile and UAV Attacks on Ukrainian Regions from the Occupied Crimea in January-May 2023

31 May 2023
Based on the results of our own monitoring (see Table 1), the Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies and the BlackSeaNews editorial board presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-May 2023. Over the first 5 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 93 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – totaling 19 missiles monthly – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, whose main base is in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, 37 – 7 monthly —Shahed-136/131 UAVs, 21 Iskander ballistic missiles and 3 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles.
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Production of military products at the captured plants of occupied Crimea in 2014-2022

03 November 2022
Russia’s failures in the all-out war against Ukraine and the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have turned the Crimean Peninsula not only into a region near the frontline but also into an area of limited hostilities. This has created a fundamentally new reality in occupied Crimea — the anticipation of the Ukrainian offensive on the occupied peninsula, which affects all spheres of life there. These factors have put an end to the prospects of the Crimean economy sectors that under the occupation had been considered the primary ones — first of all, the defence industry.