Ukraine. Crimea. On April 26, in Simferopol Park named after Gagarin the memory of liquidators of the Chornobyl catastrophe was honored. Despite the quarantine restrictions imposed by the occupation administration of the peninsula, the events took place with significant contraventions of anti-epidemic measures. In particular, the participants did not keep their distance and did not wear protective face masks.
Already on April 28, Russian-controlled Crimean Health Minister Alexander Ostapenko spoke at a daily briefing about the increase in the number of hospital beds in cities such as Simferopol, Yevpatoria, Feodosia, Sudak, and Yalta. After all, over the previous week, the number of patients with coronavirus increased by 28%.
On April 29, Natalia Penkovskaya, Head of the Interregional directorate of Rospotrebnadzor (The Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) in Crimea and Sevastopol, in an interview with the Millet TV channel stated that it was the most numerous violation of the face-mask requirements in the absence of collective immunity due to the growth of coronavirus morbidity on the peninsula.
At the same time, it should be remembered that even the data submitted by the “official authorities” of Crimea are not recognized by international organizations, and experts say about significant underestimation of indicators.
And even though during April in Crimea was established strict quarantine, and inhabitants were allowed to leave their apartments only in cases of extreme necessity.
Despite the epidemiological situation, Vadim Volchenko, the Minister of Resorts and Tourism of Crimea, controlled by Russia, expected that during the May holidays, more than a million tourists will have vacations in the peninsula.
And the hotel and sanatoriums had to be filled by 80%.
At the same time, the occupation authorities allowed public events in honor of May 9. The changes made to the decree of the so-called head of Crimea Sergei Axenov on quarantine restrictions. Residents expressed serious concern through, in their opinion, a critical situation with an increase in the number of morbidity on coronavirus.
Last year, Russians who spenta vacation in Crimea have already eliminated all quarantine restrictions, including testing for the coronavirus. After that, the number of cases of disease increased from several hundred to almost two thousand per week.
On May 9, the occupation administration held a massive parade in Sevastopol. The number of participants was almost 2 thousand people. In particular, 875 servicemen of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, the incidence of coronavirus among which is not covered in official statistics, more than 800 children and representatives of other departments and organizations. Before the parade, the organizers held three more large rehearsals: May 3, 5, and 7.
Several thousand spectators have joined the parade. After the event, the column of veteran organizations passed, whose participants were the elderly, who are in a risk group due to COVID-19. In general, more than 150 public events took place in Sevastopol on May, 9.
And even though the Kerch occupation authorities decided not to carry out its parade because of the epidemiological situation. It was expected that more than 15 thousand people would take part in the event, but it has been postponed for an indefinite period.
It’s important to note the fact of involving a large number of children (children’s training in a parade to May, 9: https://twitter.com/life_in_yalta/status/1385174666743013380 – video).
In addition, the occupation administration actively continues to militarize children on the peninsula. Only on April 25, the fifth change in the Artek Children’s Center was launched: “Salute, Victory!”. It took place within the framework of the “Military Patriotic Education Program”. That is why the opening of the Military Change of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, which, in particular, showed children with hand-to-hand battle techniques.
According to the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, 2542 children participated in the change. And although the Russian authorities positioned a change in “Artek”, as a children’s recreation camp, the entire program was devoted to “The Victory Day”: from the history to the practical training “outdoor game “Front-line polygon”.
Also, within the framework of the change, the “Yunaarmy” (Youth Army) held “School of Future Commanders”.
After the end of May holidays, the occupation authorities announced about 520 thousand Russian tourists who arrived at the peninsula.
And on May 19, Aleksandr Ostapenko, the so-called Minister of Health of the Republic, at a briefing to prevent the spread of coronavirus, said that the level of hospitalization increased by 133% in a week.
“We note an increase in the number of patients with non-hospital pneumonia, which require hospitalization. For a week, 105 people were hospitalized, which is 60 more than last week. The increase amounted to 133%”.
In the opinion of the head of the Main Department of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Cyril Budanov, all these facts confirm the real attitude of the occupiers to Crimea and its inhabitants.
“To public events on May 9, Russia has neglected security and threatened the life and health of people, especially elderly people, including children of war, which are traditionally engaged in parades and children that it allegedly cares for. Consequently, for Russia, as well as for the USSR, the propaganda of the bloody Soviet regime is the most important. This once again confirms that the Kremlin is apathetic to the destiny of Crimeans. What is important for them, is the occupied Ukrainian peninsula as a way to achieve geopolitical goals and propagate “Russian world”, – says the head of military intelligence.
Written by Solomiya Khoma