Number of political prisoners in occupied territories nearing 120

"According to the Geneva Conventions, the occupier is responsible for the territory it occupies. They [Russians] say there is no water in Crimea. They may invade [Ukraine] to get water from the Dnieper River," Rustem Umerov, a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and co-chair of the group of interparliamentary relations with the Republic of Turkey, said in a commentary to the Anadolu news agency.

The lawmaker thanked Turkey for supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity at the international level.

Umerov also pointed out that Russia continued to put pressure on Crimean Tatars on the occupied peninsula.

 "The occupation of Crimea and eastern Ukraine has been going on for six years already. The number of political prisoners has neared 120, and almost 200 children are growing up without a father. I do not think it will end. It continues as a psychological attack on our families, our elderly people, and our children," Umerov said.

The politician also reminded that Ukraine had requested that Turkey helps to facilitate the release of political prisoners.

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the lack of water in the annexed Crimea is a consequence of the actions of the Russian Federation as an occupying power, for which it is fully responsible. Ukraine will not supply water to the peninsula until it is de-occupied.

Earlier, the impossibility of water supply to the Crimea was underscored by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The fact that Russia may soon try to attack Ukraine from Crimea to restore water supply to the peninsula was discussed during a press conference in the Parliament of Poland. A similar view was expressed by General Ben Hodges, former commander of the US Army in Europe.

After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Ukraine cut off water supply through the North Crimean Canal.

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