All articles tagged with #crimea
Russia began its parliamentary elections, with voting also taking place in four Ukrainian regions Moscow illegally annexed and in Crimea; Kyiv called the polls illegal and warned that participation could carry criminal liability, as the vote unfolds amid Ukraine’s war and Russia’s economic strain.
Norwegian authorities impounded the Russian-owned expedition cruise vessel Professor Molchanov at Barentsburg in Svalbard on behalf of Ukraine's Naftogaz to enforce a $4.22 billion arbitration award for Russia's 2014 Crimea annexation; the ship cannot leave the port, passengers are being processed separately, and Naftogaz says it will continue pursuing Russian assets globally across about ten jurisdictions.
Norway seized the Russian-owned Professor Molchanov in Svalbard after a 24-hour Coast Guard standoff to enforce Naftogaz's $4.22 billion arbitral award for Crimea expropriations; Moscow denounces the move as piracy and will challenge the ruling, while Naftogaz vows to pursue Russian assets worldwide. The ship is used for expedition cruises to Svalbard, and passengers are being cared for by Norwegian authorities.
A 32-year-old Sochi woman, Margarita Reutt, is accused of placing a bomb that killed Robert Shageev, a deputy commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, in Sevastopol. Russian authorities say she confessed and was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence with promises of cryptocurrency payment and exit documents; the case, likely to be heard behind closed doors, follows a broader pattern of alleged Ukrainian operations against Russian military targets. Friends describe her as adventurous and increasingly anti-war in recent years, with a life of travel and volunteering preceding the arrest.
Meduza reports from occupied Crimea on a brutal summer marked by frequent shelling, daily electricity and water outages, and rising prices, with residents improvising—using generators, rationing food, and traveling to the mainland for fuel—while choosing to stay put and hoping for relief before winter.
Ukrainian partisan group ATESH says two of Crimea's largest warehouse complexes—the Wildberries sorting center in Simferopol and the PUD distribution center in Chystenke—have been destroyed, part of ongoing strikes against Russia's rear logistics; prior attacks were reported on June 30 and July 21, with explosions in Simferopol on July 24.
More than 15 explosions were reported near Simferopol over roughly 20 minutes in the early hours of Aug. 21 amid drone activity, with Russia alleging damage to energy infrastructure and multiple outages across occupied Crimea. Russia’s Investigative Committee claimed casualties, but independent verification was not available and Kyiv did not comment. Utilities reported damage and ongoing outages with rotating power schedules, following a peninsula-wide blackout the day before.
After Ukrainian drone strikes disabled the Orsk refinery, Russian regions implemented fuel restrictions and price controls: the Orenburg area capped gasoline at 30 liters per vehicle and limited diesel within settlements (and banned canister fills), while Novosibirsk set a 15% cap on retail markups above wholesale prices; in occupied Crimea, open sales led to price spikes and a return to QR-code rationing with a 100 ruble per liter ceiling for AI-92. The crisis has hit Crimea’s tourism hard (hotels down about 70%), prompting more than 4 billion rubles in one-off aid for tourism workers and fueling speculation of leadership changes in Crimea.
A blast in Sevastopol, Crimea killed Ukrainian defector Robert Shageev. Russian authorities arrested 32-year-old Margarita Reut, an escort, accusing her of planting the explosive inside a trash bin near Shageev; she faces terrorism-charges and reportedly confessed. Some reports allege Kyiv’s involvement, while Shageev’s defection history is noted; if convicted, Reut could face up to 30 years in prison.
An explosion in Sevastopol, Crimea, killed a Russian service member, with authorities detaining a woman believed to have carried out the attack on orders from Ukraine's intelligence services; the victim's identity was not released, and the case highlights ongoing Ukrainian strikes on the occupied Crimean peninsula that hosts Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
A bomb planted in a bin killed Robert Shageyev, a former Ukrainian naval officer who defected to Russia and once commanded Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia submarine, in Sevastopol, Crimea. Russian officials say the attack was carried out on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence, a claim Kyiv has not publicly commented on; a Russian national woman is detained in connection with the blast.
A targeted bombing in Sevastopol, Crimea killed a Russian Defense Ministry serviceman, interrupting Vladimir Putin’s public tour as he seeks to shore up support. The FSB says the suspect acted on instructions from Ukrainian special services, with a 32-year-old Russian woman detained. Putin, 73, has been touring Russian cities to bolster dwindling popularity (polls show around 66% approval), but the attack highlights security risks that could blunt his charm offensive.
A bomb attack in Sevastopol, Crimea reportedly killed Robert Shageev, a former Ukrainian submarine commander who defected to Russia in 2014. Russian authorities say a woman has been arrested in connection with the targeted attack, though Ukraine has not commented. Unofficial Telegram channels had identified the officer as Shageev, who once commanded the Zaporizhzhia. The incident comes amid a pattern of violence connected to the broader Russia-Ukraine conflict, including another Sevastopol explosion reported while authorities were clearing Ukrainian bombs.
A bombing in Sevastopol, Crimea killed a former Ukrainian submarine commander described as a defector; authorities said a Russian national woman was arrested over the assassination. The day also saw a drone strike on a Ukrainian passenger train that killed two, damage and shutdown of a Russian refinery near Orsk due to sanctions, and reports of a foiled plot to kill a Ukrainian American in Warsaw, as Kyiv and Moscow exchange blows while discussing a Black Sea grain corridor.
The General Staff says Ukrainian forces staged a coordinated strike hitting a Russian S-400 battery near Gelendzhik, a Pantsir in Yeysk, a Tor in Pudove, two radar stations in Rostov, and a logistics depot in Crimea’s Perekop, with damage assessments ongoing and the aim of reducing Moscow’s military potential.