Kyslytsya: Russia turns Crimea into ghetto and military base

“The number of political hostages skyrocketed, Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars repressed. A “wall of silence” was built around the peninsula, repelling any international scrutiny in violation of UNGA resolutions,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsya said at the United Nations Security Council briefing on Ukraine on Tuesday.

According to the UN Secretary-General’s report on Crimea, and regular reports by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Russia pursues the covert demographic change, bringing more than 130,000 military and civil servants in and pushing the local population out, the Ukrainian diplomat noted.

“Militarization of the occupied Crimea is in full gear, as Russia brings additional troops and sophisticated weapons, including nuclear delivery capabilities (submarines, warships, combat aircraft — you name it). The overall number of Russian militaries there has increased almost three-fold. Such actions pose a serious threat to the Black Sea region and far beyond,” Kyslytsya added.

As a reminder, by launching the so-called Crimean Bridge, Russia has not only violated international law and bilateral treaty obligations grossly, but also caused enormous economic losses for Ukraine and created an environmental threat to the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

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