Articles
The Crimean Budget. Small Business. Salaries and Pensions
25 October 2020
After 2015, it became clear that the regime of international sanctions and the blockade of the occupied peninsula by mainland Ukraine made not only the economic development but also financial self-sufficiency of Crimea and Sevastopol impossible. Since then, the analysis of the budgets of Sevastopol and "the Republic of Crimea" has lost its economic sense. The basis and, at the same time, the main intrigue of the annual budgeting in Crimea are the same – the size of the subsidies from the Russian Federation.
The Banking System and Investment in Crimea: What is Really Happening on the Occupied Peninsula
20 October 2020
The state of the banking system of Crimea and the real nature of investment in the occupied territory indicates that under international sanctions Crimea by definition cannot become attractive for investors. It has been and will remain a financial burden for the budget of the occupying power.
Closure of the Black Sea in September, 2020
17 October 2020
The Monitoring Group of the Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies, BlackSeaNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs reports about closure of the various areas of the Black Sea in September, 2020.
The Crimean "Trophy Economy". The Sale of Ukrainian Property
03 October 2020
Since the first months of the annexation of Crimea, the attitude towards property rights on the occupied peninsula has been defined by the general logic of the territory seized to be used as a military base, or what we refer to as the "trophy economy". The latter is characterized not only by gross violations of the legal norms established in the civilized world but by the complete neglect thereof.
The "Trophy Economy". The Development of the Stolen Ukrainian Black Sea Shelf
02 October 2020
On 17 March 2014, Chornomornaftohaz was expropriated by the Crimean collaborators. Its offshore facilities continued to work under the round-the-clock guard by the Russian special operations forces and naval ships of the RF’s Black Sea Fleet.
The Occupied Crimean Tourism
01 October 2020
After the occupation and ensuing militarization of the peninsula, tourism ceased to be a priority industry of the Crimean economy in terms of budget and investment. Under sanctions, Crimea has become a resort for Russian tourists only. It should be kept in mind, however, that the official estimates of the current number of tourists in Crimea provided by the occupation government are merely a propaganda tool and are overstated by a factor of 2 or 3.
Occupied Crimea. Exports and Imports in 2014-2020
30 September 2020
The main imports to Crimea are ilmenite (the chemical raw material for the production of titanium dioxide at the Crimean Titan plant in Armiansk, northern Crimea) and construction materials. Part of the ilmenite is also imported through transshipment in order to circumvent sanctions.
The Legal Aspects of Hydrocarbon Production in Accordance with the Product Sharing Agreements Within Ukraine’s Exclusive Economic Zone
27 September 2020
The article analyzes international maritime law and Ukrainian legislation on hydrocarbon production within the exclusive economic zone of Ukraine in accordance with the product distribution agreements.
On the Establishment of the Area Temporarily Prohibited for Navigation in the Occupied Ukrainian Territorial Sea Adjacent to the Crimean Peninsula
27 September 2020
The authors of the article highlight and justify the establishment of the area temporarily prohibited for navigation in the Russia-occupied Ukrainian territorial sea around Crimea pursuant to the international maritime law and Ukrainian legislation.
No Change in the Sea of Azov: The Duration of Artificial Delays of Vessels in the Kerch Strait. The Monitoring for August 2020
19 September 2020
In August 2020, the average duration of artificial delays of vessels going from the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov, Mariupol and Berdiansk, by the RF was 21.2 hours. This figure was almost the same as in July 2020. 25% of the vessels entered the Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov in a mode that can be considered normal, that is with a delay of 0-6 hours. In June, this proportion was 55.3%, in July – 35.7%.
The «War of Exercises» in the Black Sea: A New Very Dangerous Stage that Cannot Be Ignored
30 August 2020
On 21-22 July 2020, during the Ukrainian-American international naval exercise Sea Breeze 2020, an event took place in the Black Sea that despite being reported by many media outlets did not receive much publicity in the world during the summer vacation season.
The Replacement of the Population of Crimea: How Many Colonizers Have Actually Moved to the Peninsula
29 August 2020
It has already become well known that the main goal of the special operation to seize the Crimean peninsula in February 2014 was to restore the function of the "unsinkable aircraft carrier of the empire" in the middle of the Black Sea. The analysis of the demographic trends on the peninsula for almost seven years of the occupation will allow us to understand whether those intentions have been realized and in what way.
Back in the USSR. The Reverse Restructuring of the Crimean Economy
28 August 2020
The socio-economic situation in Crimea after the occupation and illegal annexation by the Russian Federation is characterized by a rapid return to the Soviet era, ranging from the sectoral structure of the economy to the standards of accounting and reporting and social services for the population.
Closure of the Black Sea in July, 2020
17 August 2020
The Monitoring Group of the Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies, BlackSeaNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs reports about closure of the various areas of the Black Sea in July, 2020.
The Duration of Artificial Delays of Vessels in the Kerch Strait Returns to Pre-Epidemic Figures. The Monitoring for July 2020
14 August 2020
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews is glad to share with you the latest in a series of our monthly studies on Russia's economic war against Ukraine in the Sea of Azov. In July 2020, the average duration of artificial delays of vessels en route from the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov (Mariupol and Berdiansk) by the RF was 21.4 hours. This is almost 2 times longer than in June 2020.