ISW: Crimea faces water crisis due to Russian occupation and mismanagement Russian occupation and mismanagement of Crimea have led to a severe water crisis on the peninsula, which is likely to worsen. This is reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). According to the ISW, since the beginning of the occupation in 2014, Russia has been exploiting Crimea's water resources without proper management or investment in infrastructure. This has led to the depletion of groundwater reserves and the degradation of water quality. In addition, the construction of the Kerch Bridge has disrupted the natural flow of water in the Kerch Strait, further exacerbating the problem. The ISW notes that the water crisis is having a significant impact on the Crimean economy and the health of the population. Agricultural production has declined, and there are reports of waterborne diseases. The Russian authorities have attempted to address the crisis by building new reservoirs and pipelines, but these measures have been insufficient. The ISW believes that the only sustainable solution is for Russia to withdraw from Crimea and allow Ukraine to restore proper water management. Key findings of ISW analysts: * Russian forces continued offensive operations along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line and recently made confirmed advances near Kupiansk. * Russian forces continued offensive operations near Bakhmut but did not make any confirmed advances. * Russian forces continued offensive operations near Avdiivka, west and southwest of Donetsk, but did not make any confirmed advances. * Ukrainian forces recently made marginal gains near Robotyne in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast. * Russian occupation authorities continue efforts to militarize Ukrainian children in the occupied territories.
Kyiv • UNN
Crimea's reservoirs are rapidly losing water, which could lead to a deficit like in 2020-2021. The occupying authorities prioritize water supply to resorts, ignoring the needs of the local population.
Crimea may face a serious water crisis in the coming months, provoked by the Russian occupation of Crimea and further exacerbated by mismanagement and irrational use of resources by the Russian Federation. This is stated in a material of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reports UNN.
Details
Analysts, in particular, point to the statement of the head of the Department of Chemical Technologies of Water Use of the Crimean Federal University, Illya Nikolenko, according to whom only in May 2025, reservoirs in Crimea lost 11 million cubic meters of water.
Nikolenko warned that the current rate of depletion of water reserves in Crimea foreshadows an acute water crisis, reminiscent of the water shortage of 2020-2021
The authors emphasize that Russian occupation officials are clearly aware of the impending water crisis, but nevertheless continue efforts to attract Russian tourists to Crimea for the summer season. Thus, the head of the committee on ecology and natural resources of the occupation parliament of Crimea, Svitlana Shabelnikova, said that this summer Russia will provide Crimea with 60% of the necessary drinking water, and resort cities in the south of Crimea will be "provided with drinking water without interruption."
It remains unclear how the Russian occupation administration intends to provide 40% of the drinking water deficit. But Shabelnikova's statements indicate that the Russian authorities prioritize water supply to tourist destinations, which could potentially leave hundreds of thousands of people who do not live in or near resort towns without a reliable water supply
They emphasize that Russia, as a belligerent occupying power, is obliged under international law to ensure the health of the population it occupies. This norm, in particular, provides for the provision of basic goods and services, such as drinking water.
Reference
Ukraine stopped supplying water to Crimea through the North Crimean Canal as a form of sanctions when Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014. It was then difficult for Russia to maintain water supply, especially when it filled the peninsula with Russian soldiers and relocated Russian civilians to Crimea, which added strain to already limited water resources.
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has mismanaged water infrastructure in Crimea, failed to invest in alternative water sources, continued to divert water resources for military needs, and has been embroiled in corruption scandals over water projects.
The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam by Russia in June 2023 further seriously limited water supply to Crimea.
Recall
In April, the director of the scientific and production company "Water Technologies" Anatoliy Kopachevsky on Russian radio said that in the occupied Crimea, reservoirs are filled less than 50 percent of their maximum volume. The fullness of Crimean reservoirs at that time was half as low compared to the same period in 2024.