temporarily occupied Crimea
“He wanted Henichesk to have its own voice”. The story of Hennadii Osmak, a journalist imprisoned by Russian occupying forces
To learn more about the journalist’s work and the circumstances of his detention and imprisonment, ZMINA spoke with his colleague and a person close to the journalist, whose name we cannot disclose for safety reasons
Ukraine has imposed sanctions against Russian judges who passed illegal sentences on Ukrainian prisoners of war — full list
According to the Geneva Conventions, POWs cannot be prosecuted for their participation in military operations. However, the Russian Federation disregards these norms and puts Ukrainian soldiers on trial, for instance, for their participation in the operation in the Kursk region
Zelenskyy joins Muslim soldiers for Ramadan Iftar
The Head of State thanked all the defenders present, their brothers- and sisters-in-arms, for defending Ukraine and Ukrainians, strengthening our country, and being part of the shared strength of an independent Ukraine
The lesson of Crimea: Rewarding aggression only invites more war
Every year on February 26, Ukraine marks the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. This date commemorates the largest resistance rally held outside the walls of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
Russian authorities unlawfully hold Kyiv volunteer Oleksandr Kostiuk in Simferopol pre-trial detention centre No. 2
As of 2026, Oleksandr has been in captivity for three years and is suffering from serious health problems, including herniated discs and spinal protrusions
Not just Ukraine — Russia is preparing Ukrainian children for future wars elsewhere
As of 2026, the Russian Federation has invested 78,4 million rubles into its youth education programme. In temporarily occupied territories, Russians strive to erase Ukrainian culture and replace it with a Russian identity that is loyal to the state and willing to die for Russia
“Mum, I don’t want to go back there…”: blind political prisoner Sizikov was released from a penal colony on health grounds, but then the decision was overturned
Political prisoner’s mother, Olena Sizikova, spoke about what he had to endure in the colony, how he adapted to life at home after prison, and the circumstances of his new detention
Disqualified skeleton racer Heraskevych and German initiative Athletes for Peace launch campaign for fallen Ukrainian athletes’ families (updated)
The athlete showcased a helmet featuring 24 portraits, yet emphasized that far more athletes [650 persons] have been killed. He urged that this must be remembered
Human rights defenders urge Zelenskyy to prioritize protection for war victims
Human rights advocates believe that following the liquidation of the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories -- a decision approved by the President -- the head of state himself could initiate a revision of the support architecture and the creation of an effective government body
Children in one of the schools in occupied Sevastopol are being militarized by Russian militant Pavel Klyasyuk
1.6 million Ukrainian children might have remained under Russian occupation. Their militarization intensified with the start of the full-scale war, although it has been ongoing in Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since 2014
Polish Prosecutor’s Office supports Ukraine’s request for the extradition of Russian archaeologist Butyagin
Alexander Butyagin, a Russian scientist and head of the ancient archaeology department at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. He has illegally crossed the state border of Ukraine and led an archaeological expedition in temporarily occupied Kerch
Crimean political prisoner Tofik Abdulgaziev has begun losing consciousness due to significant deterioration of his health condition
The Crimean Tatar is being held in solitary confinement, so if he becomes unwell, there is no one to help him
Russian serviceman who threatened the mother of a Ukrainian soldier in occupation with gang rape received a sentence in absentia
The individual is 35-year-old Dmitrii Shugankov, who at that time was on Ukrainian soil as the head of intelligence for the 2nd self-propelled howitzer artillery battalion of the 205th Separate Motorized Rifle Cossack Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, holding the rank of "Senior Lieutenant."
Human rights activists have identified 25 individuals involved in the persecution of citizen journalist Remzi Bekirov
Those implicated in Bekirov’s persecution include Russian judges, prosecutors, and Federal Security Service (FSB) officers. A journalist and activist with the "Crimean Solidarity" movement, Bekirov has faced harassment since 2017. Following his arrest in 2019, he was held in Russian pretrial detention centers and penal colonies under inhumane conditions, subjected to forced transfers and psychiatric evaluations, and denied the full right to a legal defense
Government agencies have appointed officials responsible for the temporarily occupied territories: human rights advocate explains what this will change
The ZMINA editorial team sent a request to the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers to find out which ministries had been designated as responsible for policy on the temporarily occupied and frontline territories. In response to the request, the Secretariat provided a list of such representatives in 21 executive bodies, including ministries, the State Emergency Service, the Pension Fund, the State Property Fund, and other relevant institutions
UN condemns Russian aggression, human rights violations on occupied territories and demands troop withdrawal from Ukraine
The resolution relies on the findings of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on violations by Russia, which confirm facts of enforced disappearances and torture both in the occupied territories and in Russia itself
Russian occupiers abducted Crimean Tatar woman in temporarily occupied Crimea: they accuse her of “treason”
The Human Rights House Crimea reminded that during the last two years, Russian security forces in temporarily occupied Crimea have intensified the practice of enforced disappearances. As of the end of 2024, there were 27 confirmed cases of this type. Eight of these people could not be found, three were convicted by the illegitimate "courts" on the peninsula, and the rest were released. In 2025, out of 18 persons, only one was released
Russian occupiers illegally alienate the property of boxer Oleksandr Usyk and other citizens of Ukraine in Crimea
The so-called "nationalizations" by the occupying Russian authorities in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol city carry no legal force under international law. Human rights defenders view this as an element of the aggressor state's repressive policy
Columns
Only 5% of those responsible for deporting Ukrainian children face global sanctions
The human safari: How Russia weaponized precision against Ukrainian civilians
The lesson of Crimea: Rewarding aggression only invites more war
Not just Ukraine — Russia is preparing Ukrainian children for future wars elsewhere
