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UKRAINE WAR BULLETIN - April 26, 2022 - 6 p.m. EDT
Embassy of Ukraine in the USA
Wash, D.C., Tue, April 26, 2022, 6 pm EDT
Distributed by U.S.-Ukraine Business Council www.USUBC.org
WAR ROOM
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 26.04 were approximately:
personnel - about 22100 (+200),
APV ‒ 2308 (+50),
artillery systems – 416 (+5),
MLRS - 149 (+0),
Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 69 (+0),
aircraft – 184 (+3),
helicopters – 154 (+0),
vehicles - 1643 (+77),
cutters - 8 (+0),
fuel tanks - 76 (+0),
UAV operational-tactical level - 205 (+4).
special equipment - 31 (+3).
mobile SRBM system - 4 (+0).
The sixty-second day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a Russian military invasion continues. A Russian federation continues its full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine.
Russian enemy continues to carry out offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone in order to defeat the Joint Forces, establish full control over the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and maintain the land route with the occupied Crimea.
In the Volyn and Polissya directions, the condition, position and nature of the Russian enemy's actions did not change significantly. The Russian enemy did not take active action in these areas. Certain units of the Armed Forces of the republic of belarus on a rotational basis perform tasks to cover the Ukrainian-belarusian border in Brest and Gomel regions.
In the northern direction, there were no signs of enemy forming a strike group to resume offensive operations. In the districts of Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod oblasts adjacent to Ukraine, Russian enemy has strengthened the protection of the border and checkpoints, and is conducting engineering equipment for positions. Russian occupiers in border areas have intensified anti-sabotage measures.
In the Slobozhansky direction, Russian enemy is strengthening groups of troops, continuing to partially blockade the city of Kharkiv, and firing on units of Ukrainian troops and critical infrastructure.
Russian invaders are trying to launch an offensive in the direction of the settlement of Zavody. Fighting continues.
In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions, Russian enemy is moving command and control points closer to the line of combat.
Russian enemy fires on the positions of Ukrainian troops with the use of mortars, artillery, rocket-propelled grenade launchers along the entire line of contact, as follows:
in the Severodonetsk direction, the enemy is fighting in the area of the settlement of Rubizhne;
in the Popasna direction the enemy is trying to capture Popasna, the battles continue;
in the Avdiivka direction the enemy tries to conduct offensive actions and has no success;
in the Kurakhiv direction the enemy unsuccessfully carried out offensive operations in the direction of the settlements of Novomykhailivka and Marinka;
in the Zaporizhzhia direction, the enemy is conducting offensive operations in the direction of the settlement of Trudolyubivka, fighting continues.
The enemy is carrying out massive fire and blocking of Ukrainian units in the area of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.
In the South Buh direction, the enemy, along the entire line of contact, carried out single shellings of Ukrainian units. Reconnaissance activity around the administrative border of the Mykolayiv area is noted.
In the area of the settlement of Velyka Oleksandrivka, Kherson oblast, the defenders of Ukraine destroyed an ammunition depot and a large number of russain enemy personnel (more than 70 Russian enemies were eliminated). The exact number of dead is being clarified.
Units of Russian occupiers also suffered personnel losses in the area of the settlements of Novodmytrivka and Bilousove.
Russian occupiers continue to plunder the local population in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Units of the armed forces of the Russian federation are trying to conduct air reconnaissance over the territory of Odesa oblast. They suffer losses.
Ten air targets were hit by a grouping of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the previous day: three planes, four UAVs of operational and tactical level and three cruise missiles.
In the past 24 hours, six Russian enemy attacks have been repulsed in Donetsk and Luhansk, four tanks, five artillery systems, thirteen units of armored vehicles, fifteen units of motor vehicles, two tankers and one anti-aircraft gun have been destroyed.
The enemy continues to carry out offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone in order to defeat the Joint Forces, establish full control over the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and maintain the land route with the occupied Crimea.
The enemy continues to launch missile and bomb strikes on military and civilian infrastructure.
In the Slobozhansky direction, russian enemy groups from the 6th Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District, the coastal troops of the Baltic and Northern Fleets continue to partially block Kharkiv and fire on it.
In the Izium direction, russian enemy units and subdivisions of the 1st Tank Army, the 20th and 35th Combined Arms Armies, the 68th Army Corps, and the Airborne Forces, supported by artillery, are advancing in the direction of Barvinkove. In order to reconnoiter the positions of Ukrainian troops, russian enemy continues to use UAVs in this area.
In the areas of the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, russian occupiers continue to hold field camps to restore combat readiness and train units. According to available information, up to five battalion tactical groups of russian enemy are in the immediate vicinity of the state border of Ukraine in this area.
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy is taking active action along almost the entire line of contact. The main efforts are focused on taking control of Rubizhne, Popasna, and Marinka.
In the Severodonetsk direction, as part of the regrouping of troops in the direction of Kreminna, russian occupiers moved to a tank battalion from the 90th Tank Division, as well as a pontoon-bridge unit from the 12th separate engineering brigade of the Central Military District.
To develop the offensive in the direction of the settlement of Lyman, russian enemy is building up a group of troops. The invaders do not stop artillery shelling and airstrikes on Mariupol. The blocking of units of our troops in the area of the Azovstal plant continues.
In the South Buh and Tavriya directions, russian enemy continues to hold the occupied frontier, in some areas it tries unsuccessfully to improve the tactical position, improves the engineering equipment of its positions, and carries out shelling of positions of our armies.
In the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova, units of the operational group of Russian troops have been put on alert "Full", the security forces have been transferred to a reinforced model of service.
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights
The aggressor is preparing new scenarios and provocations in the territory of unrecognized Transnistria.
With the help of provocations in the so-called "Transnistrian Moldavian Republic", the Russians are trying to involve their occupying contingent in Moldova in the war against Ukraine and mobilize the local population to attack Odessa.
The so-called "Army Corps-3", similar to the illegal armed formation "LDNR", operates in the territory of unrecognized Transnistria under the auspices of the Russian armed forces. According to information from partner human rights organizations, before the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian-controlled groups of militants from unrecognized Transnistria upgraded their reserve forces.
Representatives of the Army Corps-3 were the first to be spotted after the explosions near the MGB building and TV towers, which testify to their control of streets and critical infrastructure in unrecognized Transnistria.
Human rights activists note the activity of local military enlistment offices in unrecognized Transnistria, which inspect conscripts. Currently, car queues have formed to leave for the territory controlled by the Moldovan government.
The media are spreading reports about Ukraine's intentions to "strike" the territory of Transnistria in order to provoke panic among the local population. A similar scenario was used by the enemy with the evacuation of people from ORDLO a week before the invasion of Ukraine.
It is difficult to resist this lie, as there are no opposition channels in unrecognized Transnistria. Citizens of the unrecognized republic watch mostly pro-Russian television.
By its actions, the occupier is trying to justify the invasion of Ukraine and the death of thousands of his soldiers, as well as to divert the attention of the world community from Mariupol with another mass grave in which they try to hide traces of their war crimes and genocide of the Ukrainian people.
Russia's actions in Transnistria are a crime of aggression under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 of December 14, 1974, and a violation of the UN Charter.
Ukrainian prisoners of war are being held in torture chambers under the supervision of FSB officers.
Information on the locations of our captured defenders in the Russian Federation has been received from our partner human rights organizations.
Premises of the pre-trial detention center at PKU-IK 1 UFSIN in the Tula region (Komsomolsky settlement) were released for 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The FSB was thoroughly instructed with the administration, and the service was also housed in an institution to "work" with prisoners.
Prisoners of war of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are held in the colonies of the GUFSIN of Russia in the Rostov region. For this purpose, two penitentiaries in the south of Russia were resettled at once - now they are in fact concentration camps for prisoners of war and are being filled at the expense of Ukrainian soldiers captured on the battlefield.
Prisoners of war are monitored by the FSVP, the FSB, the Rosguard, and secret agents from among convicted activists, many of whom have been transferred from the torture chambers of other penitentiaries.
There has been no official conversion of prisons into POW camps, as required by international humanitarian law.
The Vyazemsky Concentration Camp of SIZO-2 (in Vyazma) of the UFSIN in the Smolensk Region has been set aside to hold Ukrainian prisoners of war. It is equipped for torture and interrogation of prisoners of war. Ukrainians will also be detained in the Small Psychiatric Hospital at the SIZO, a well-known torture chamber for the "rebellious" outside Russia.
Human rights activists report the placement of Ukrainians in the UFSIN SIZO-2 in the Bryansk region (Novozybkov), the Taganrog SIZO-2 and the Moscow SIZO.
The placement of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia is in gross violation of Articles 22 and 97 of the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Instead of implementing a humanitarian corridor - 35 air strikes on the Azovstal plant in a day, the enemy is purposefully destroying Mariupol residents.
Russians fire on the approaches to the plant from artillery, not allowing any evacuation.
The occupiers are searching the city, breaking into all the surviving homes. Housing, according to the invaders, suitable for the military of russia, is marked with the symbol "Z". The rest is looted.
In the future, the devastated apartments will obviously be used to resettle the surviving Mariupol residents.
There is not enough food in Mariupol. Men can get at least some "rations" only if they participate in the dismantling of debris, digging graves and performing other work for the occupiers.
In the "best" traditions of the Nazis, the occupiers are looting the archives and cultural funds of Mariupol museums. Obviously, the most "valuable" exhibits will be exported to Russia.
Russia's actions in Mariupol are genocide of the Ukrainian people in accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and Article 6 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The occupiers used indiscriminate weapons, which led to total destruction and the death of civilians.
During the storming of the residential quarters of Mariupol and Rubizhne, the enemy used UR-07M "Peresortirovka" remote demining systems based on the BMP-3 chassis. It also houses a launcher with an extended demining charge UZP-06 and UZP-06D.
This allows the occupiers to break through the corridor in the minefield at a distance of 340 meters to 1 kilometer, and its width can reach several tens of meters. Demining is carried out by the occurrence of a shock wave from a projectile explosion, which affects the detonator of a mine.
In addition, UR-07 M can be used to destroy manpower. At simultaneous start and detonation of several charges there is an effect of volume explosion which is capable to clear any ruins, destroying at the same time the living force protecting them.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine do not have such installations. All responsibility for the consequences of the occupiers' use of the UR-07 "Peresortivka" remote demining facility during the storming of Rubezhnoye and Mariupol lies directly with the military-political leadership of the occupying country, as international humanitarian law prohibits the use of weapons that cause excessive damage or indiscriminate action.
POLICY
President of Ukraine
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Romania Nicolae Ciucă who was on a visit to Kyiv.
"Your visit is an important clear signal of support for Ukraine in the war against the Russian Federation," the President stressed.
The President of Ukraine informed the Prime Minister of Romania about the situation on the frontline, the heroic defense of Mariupol.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Romanian government for the assistance Romania provides to our defense forces.
During the discussion of the issue of counteracting Russian aggression, it was noted that one of the critical elements of such counteraction is the sanctions pressure on the aggressor, which needs to be strengthened and which should become a key element in forcing Russia to peace.
"Thank you for your clear position on the sanctions policy against the Russian Federation during the war it unleashed on our territory," the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed confidence that the next, sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia should contain truly effective decisions, especially in the energy sphere.
The President of Ukraine praised Bucharest's assistance in organizing a critical transit to Ukraine - international humanitarian aid, the goods we need and energy resources. Further steps were agreed to deepen such cooperation.
To this end, it has been agreed to hold a separate meeting at the ministerial level soon.
The Head of State noted Romania's readiness to join Ukraine's post-war development.
The European integration agenda was discussed separately. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Nicolae Ciucă for Romania's clear support for the Ukrainian people's desire to become a full member of the European family as soon as possible. An important component of the common European future will be the absolute protection and development of our national minorities - the Ukrainian community in Romania and the Romanian community - in Ukraine.
The parties also discussed other topical issues on the agenda and touched upon regional issues.
Following the talks, the President expressed his conviction that Ukraine and Romania should reach a new level in all key areas of bilateral relations.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi who is on a visit to Ukraine.
The Head of State stressed that today, on the 36th anniversary of the Chornobyl accident, it has to be said that the world is once again one step away from catastrophe due to Russia's actions.
"In the Chornobyl zone, the Russian occupiers looted and destroyed a nuclear analytical laboratory on the territory of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. For the Russian military, the Chornobyl zone and station were a military bridgehead, just as the bridgehead is now the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. There is also a risk of catastrophe from Russia's launch of cruise missiles that fly over nuclear power plant units," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that given the level of threat, the reaction to Russia's actions was extraordinary, and that country has no right to turn nuclear energy into weapons, as well as to blackmail the world with nuclear weapons.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the world must stop nuclear blackmail by Russia and restore the fundamental principles of nuclear safety and peaceful use of nuclear energy.
"We also have to work together to address a number of critical issues that were discussed today. This is a question of depriving Russia of disproportionate representation in the IAEA. I am convinced that our state has the right to be represented in the IAEA Board of Governors. We also raised the issue of Russia compensating for all the damage caused to our nuclear facilities," the President stressed.
According to the President, Ukraine has proposed an initiative to deploy peacekeepers to ensure the security of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
He stressed that Ukraine will hold a dialogue with its IAEA partners and insist on measures to restore nuclear security in Europe and around the world.
For his part, Rafael Mariano Grossi said that today, on the 36th anniversary of the disaster, he visited the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, where he thanked the employees of the station for their work, courage and professionalism.
"We could not imagine that this path would take us where we did not expect to end, that it is not over and that tragic events will continue in this area," he said.
The IAEA leader stressed the importance of further cooperation and support for Ukraine in difficult times.
"My task, among other things, is to ensure that the country's nuclear power plants, which are important in the world in terms of electricity supply, are not threatened. That is why the IAEA is in Ukraine and will continue its work. Today, we agreed to provide assistance and special work to restore the capacity of the damaged infrastructure," said Rafael Mariano Grossi.
https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/glava-derzhavi-zustrivsya-z-generalnim-direktorom-magate-74597
Presidnt Zelenskyy address to Ukrainians:
Every year on April 26, the world remembers the Chornobyl disaster. The worst nuclear disaster in human history.
But this year it is not enough to just remember Chornobyl. And it is not enough to say traditional words of gratitude to the heroes-liquidators. It is not enough to remind why and how the catastrophe became possible. It is not enough to repeat the conclusions that every intelligent person and every adequate society must draw.
Because this year, Russia has created new threats that could surpass even the worst accident.
I remember the night of March 4, when it became known about the fire at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
When Russian tanks fired at the station. They knew exactly which object they were firing at. But they had an order to seize the object at any cost.
They did not care about anything. They did not care that the Zaporizhzhia station is the largest in Europe. They didn't think about how many power units there are and how the shelling could end.
That night I spoke with world leaders. With everyone who could influence the events and stop Russia. I spoke with President Biden, with Chancellor Scholz, with President of the European Council Charles Michel, with President of Poland Andrzej Duda... I spoke with IAEA Director General Mr. Grossi.
Not only Ukrainians were involved in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chornobyl accident in 1986. But also Belarusians, Russians and others.
That catastrophe should have been told about in Russian schools as well. They should have reminded about it in Russia every year on April 26, as is done throughout the civilized world.
Instead, today they launched three missiles against Ukraine so that they flew directly over the blocks of our nuclear power plants. Over three nuclear power plants at once. Over Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi and South-Ukrainian NPPs. What is it? Are they threatening? Are they targeting? There are no words...
It turns out they do not realize what Chornobyl is. At all.
Russian troops that were trying to attack Kyiv through the Chornobyl zone used the restricted area as a military base.
They set up positions on land where it is forbidden to even stand. They drove armored vehicles through areas where radiation-contaminated materials are buried and where the number of radioactive particles is simply horrendous. They destroyed the dosimetric control points. The Chornobyl radiation monitoring system was broken and looted. They looted a nuclear analytical laboratory...
They even stole contaminated items, which were confiscated from violators of the rules of the Exclusion Zone!
Only thanks to the professionalism and conscientiousness of our specialists working at the Chornobyl station and other facilities of the Chornobyl zone, we managed to save Ukraine, save Europe from a new catastrophe.
Only thanks to the professional team of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and our entire nuclear industry is it possible to ensure trouble-free operation of stations during the war.
Today, I also awarded our heroes - shift workers at the Chornobyl station who did not leave the facility. Who maintained the work of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant despite the threat to their lives and despite the occupiers' lack of understanding of even the basics of radiation safety.
I believe that after all that the Russian military has done in the Chornobyl zone and at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, no one in the world can feel safe knowing how many nuclear facilities, nuclear weapons and related technologies the Russian state has.
If Russia has forgotten what Chornobyl is, it means that global control over Russia's nuclear facilities and nuclear technology is needed.
I spoke today with the Prime Minister of Japan. In particular, about the dangers created by Russia. About the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine. I thanked Japan for a strong package of sanctions, for its support and for the leadership needed to force Russia to peace and recognition of the foundations of international law. We also discussed the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and the possible role of Japan in future security agreements.
The Prime Minister of Romania paid a visit to Kyiv. I thanked him for the defensive and political support.
We discussed not only bilateral cooperation between our states and joint work to protect freedom in Europe, but also cooperation at the EU level. With Romania, we share a common vision of both prospects and threats to European unity, in particular in the Black Sea region.
We agreed to work together even harder to ensure security in our region.
An important meeting at the level of defense ministers of Ukraine's partner countries took place in Germany today. The key issue was to strengthen the protection of the whole of Europe from Russia's aggressive ambitions.
There are almost no people left in the free world who do not understand that Russia's war against Ukraine is just the beginning.
The ultimate goal of Russia's leadership is not just to seize the territory of Ukraine, but to dismember the entire center and east of Europe and deal a global blow to democracy.
Therefore, the free world has the right to self-defense. And that is why it will help Ukraine even more.
I am grateful to the United Kingdom and personally to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his prompt and positive response to our request for trade liberalization. Right now it is especially important for the support of our state.
Britain has announced the abolition of all duties and quotas on imports of Ukrainian goods. This will allow us to save thousands of jobs during the war and ensure a significant intensification of economic relations with Britain.
We expect similar decision from other partners.
I want to emphasize that this is important not only for our country, not only for each of the partner countries. This adds stability to global markets, especially the food market, which is one step away from a large-scale price crisis due to Russia's war against Ukraine.
There is only one way to avoid the crisis: to strengthen cooperation and put pressure on Russia for it to give up this war.
Today, Russian troops continued missile strikes at our land, particularly in the Odesa region. They continued to attack our troops near Kharkiv, in Donbas. They are trying to portray an alleged "new government" in Kherson and part of the Zaporizhzhia region. They change flags, demonstrate some suicides in the role of collaborators.
And what does this give Russia? Only new losses.
There will be a new sanctions package from the European Union. There will be even more restrictions on trade. Inevitably, the vast majority of the world's countries will abandon Russian oil and other Russian energy sources. No adequate country will want to invite Rosatom to cooperate. Most Russians will have to pay with poverty for the aggressive policy of their country's leadership.
And I emphasize: we will identify, find and prosecute everyone - war criminals and collaborators. The longer and more brutal this war, the more resources will be spent not only by us, but also by the world to establish justice and punish all those responsible.
The time will come when Russia will have to recognize that peace is needed.
I paid a visit to Ilya Matvienko and Kira Obedinska in Okhmatdyt Hospital today. Kira is 12 years old, and Ilya turned 10 today. They lived in Mariupol until the Russian army came. Ilya's mother was killed during the bombing of the city. Kira's father, a well-known athlete and former captain of Ukraine's water polo team, Yevhen Obedinsky, was killed by a sniper.
The occupiers took the children out of the city, actually abducted them, and it took a lot of effort to get them back. I am grateful to everyone who joined this cause. I am especially grateful to Iryna Vereshchuk and Andriy Yermak, who coordinated this task, to our entire team.
Now Ilya is with his grandmother, Kira is with her grandfather. Their only relatives left. We will help them with everything they need. We will help raise children.
And we will definitely do everything to return all our Ukrainian children to Ukraine. Let no one in Russia hope that Ukraine will forget or forgive the abduction of our children, the deportation of our citizens. And the destruction of Mariupol.
I also thanked Okhmatdyt's doctors for their work. For saving lives and trying to restore children's peace of mind under all circumstances. Thank you very much, dear doctors.
Before delivering the evening address, I traditionally signed a decree awarding our heroes. 243 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards.
Prime Minister of Ukraine
April 26th is a tragic date for Ukraine and the world. On this day, in 1986, one of the biggest artificial disasters occurred - the Chornobyl accident.
The consequences of the tragedy were genuinely horrific and affected the whole of Europe. Almost 5 million people were affected. Thousands of rescuers, risking their lives and health, did not allow the catastrophe to grow even grander scale. Such was the price of total silence in the Soviet elite.
Thirty-six years later, the world faced a new challenge: the capture of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant by Russian troops and further "nuclear terror." While held hostage, the Chornobyl NPP shift worked 600 hours in a row. The slightest mistake could lead to a new tragedy. Many thanks to all the workers who, despite everything, defended nuclear and radiation safety and who continue to do so under the barrels of machine guns at the captured Zaporizhzhya NPP. We remember everyone's heroism.
Even after so many years, we see that the methods of the USSR, adopted by Russia, continue to pose a threat to everyone around. Otherwise, it is impossible to explain why Russian troops hid ammunition and mined the area around the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. The enemy will be punished for this.
Ukraine will continue to protect nuclear security globally, turning the Shelter Structure into an environmentally friendly system. Preventing such a catastrophe is our moral responsibility to all those affected by accidents and future generations.
The Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine approved the List of Territorial Communities located in areas of military (combat) operations or under temporary occupation, surrounded (blocked) as of April 25th, 2022.
The relevant order was developed to meet the requirements of the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of April 16th, 2022 № 457 "On support for certain categories of the population affected by the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine."
This means that starting from May 2022, the procedure for receiving state assistance for internally displaced persons will follow a clear and regulated procedure.
Citizens who have moved from territorial communities approved by the order of the Ministry of Reintegration, as well as internally displaced people whose housing was destroyed or unusable due to damage and who have applied for compensation, in particular through the Unified State Web Portal of Electronic Services: https://bit.ly/3OHvnx4
List of approved territorial communities: https: //bit.ly/3xUGi04
Read more: https://bit.ly/3vGNNFr
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
First Deputy Minister Emine Dzhaparova informed about the situation around Russian armed aggression against Ukraine and blatant violations of international law and human rights by the Russian occupiers, and thanked the international community for support of Ukraine in the struggle for its territorial integrity.
She stressed that Ukraine and the representatives of the Crimean Tatar people stood up to defend not only their homeland, but also their identity, traditions, culture and language.
Emine Dzhaparova informed about the constant violations of the rights and freedoms of the representatives of the Crimean Tatar people by the Russian occupation administration in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and Sevastopol.
First Deputy Minister stressed that "the Crimean Tatar language is one of the endangered languages and the Russian occupiers in Crimea are constantly restricting its use."
Emine Dzhaparova noted that Russia continues its illegal policy, bans the leaders of the Majlis from entering the territory of the Crimean Peninsula, fabricates the charges against them, and prosecutes them. She stressed that "the practice of political persecution of all those who have the courage to resist the Russian occupation of the peninsula has long become normal in Crimea."
During the speech, First Deputy Minister paid attention to numerous violations of international law by Russia, including the fact of illegal conscription of Crimean Tatars to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and they are forced to leave Crimea and move to mainland of Ukraine.
Emine Dzhaparova stressed the importance of the adoption of the Strategy for the Development of the Crimean Tatar Language for 2022-2032 by the Government of Ukraine, which aims to create all conditions for the restoration, preservation and development of the Crimean Tatar language.
First Deputy Minister called on the international community to continue to take measures and increase pressure on Russia in order to force it to end its armed aggression against Ukraine and liberate all temporarily occupied territories.
