The exact number of people who have disappeared since the beginning of the occupation in Crimea has not been established, but it can be about 60 people, the Representative Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea reported on August 30, the International Day of Remembrance of the Disappeared, UNN reports.
Since the outbreak of the war in 2014 and especially after the full-scale invasion in 2022, the practice of enforced disappearances has become one of the most common methods of intimidation of citizens in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The exact number of people who have disappeared since the beginning of the occupation in Crimea has not yet been established, but we can talk about about 60 people
Reportedly, the largest wave of disappearances occurred in the first month of the occupation of Crimea, with about 20 cases recorded.
These disappearances fall under the definitions of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and are part of a systematic attack on pro-Ukrainian activists, including Crimean Tatars or their relatives. The President's Office noted that the occupation "law enforcement agencies" have not effectively investigated any of the cases of enforced disappearances.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that more than 14 thousand people are considered missing as a result of Russian aggression. Almost 1700 civilians have been verified to be in Russian detention facilities.
For reference
Today, August 30, is the International Day of the Disappeared. The date was initiated by the non-governmental organization FEDEFAM to draw attention to the plight of secretly detained and disappeared persons in many Latin American countries and their ill-treatment.