In 2014, Ahtchigoz publicly opposed Russia's annexation of Crimea. He then spent nearly three years in a Russian pre-trial detention centre. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison on a trumped-up charge of organizing mass riots. However, in 2017, as a result of the extradition, he was sent to Turkey. Today he is a member of the Ukrainian Parliament and Deputy Chairman of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis. In an interview with Onet, he talked about the mood in Crimea and the economic situation on the peninsula, as well as hopes for its liberation by military means.
Maria Tsiptsiura: Do you have family in Crimea or people from whom you receive information about what is happening there?
Did you know about Ziggoz? I have children there, five grandchildren, and an 87-year-old father. My mother died while I was in prison. All my nephews are also in Crimea, and there is my sister. Basically the whole family.
Why wouldn't they leave if it was dangerous for them to be there?
They say they will not leave Crimea. It will be difficult for them. They were all fired while I was still in prison, so of course it is very difficult for them to survive. But so does everyone there.
What is life like in Crimea? “The cost is getting more and more expensive, but it is also a problem for the occupiers.”
How is life in Crimea now?
Crimea is a gray area now. That is why Ukraine is now working on the process of ending the occupation. We now have greater capabilities, as we can reach every point in Crimea to destroy Russian bridgeheads and symbols.
But of course, such a life has its consequences: there are no connections to the peninsula, and everything has become much more expensive. But my friends from Crimea tell me that the more difficult the situation is, the better, because it is more difficult for the occupiers.
People also realize that the occupation will not last forever. We cannot imagine a shared future with Russia, because the Russians' goal is to destroy us as a nation. They want to create a Ukraine without Ukrainians and a Crimea without Crimean Tatars. Meanwhile, people wait for liberation. This is an increasingly realistic possibility.
So the collaborators are leaving Crimea?
Yes, they are running away
But there is also another process going on. This summer season, Russian tourists will not come to sunbathe on the seashore in Crimea. We didn't let them play there. For them, this area is no longer attractive. This is an opportunity for us to understand that Crimea will be liberated.
“Crimea is of strategic importance”
How important was Crimea in the course of the war?
It has strategic and tactical importance. Not only for Ukraine, but for the world as well. Crimea is important from the point of view of the changes that may occur in Russia. Moreover, it is directly linked to the security of the Black Sea region. And so with the security of European countries.
We must say clearly: the regime in Russia must be changed, and the first step is to liberate Crimea. This of course is not easy. But the fact that we have weapons and have created such conditions that the occupiers in Crimea have nowhere to hide, and we have access to their ships and military bases, is of great importance.
On the one hand, this whole situation is difficult and dangerous for our citizens. But on the other hand, the Russians are finding it increasingly difficult to control Crimea every day. The turning point in this story will be the Devil's Bridge – the Kerch Bridge. When we destroy it, the situation for the Russians will become very difficult. Basically, they will not be able to keep Crimea.
What impact might the Ukrainians' liberation of Crimea have on Putin's regime?
Putin has built his rule on symbolism. It's like a king on a throne. Therefore, destroying the codes could pose a great risk to his system.
Russians feed on these myths and it helps them understand what is happening. But they don't realize that they are actually complicit in the crime. They are complicit in making Putin what he is. Is there any hope that the generation that created this monster can change anything? In my opinion there is no.
However, there is no need to worry about what might change in the minds of Russians. We must punish them for the crimes they committed. Once that is done, we can join the rest of the world in thinking about what Russia should look like.
However, it is clear to everyone that after the liberation of Crimea, Russia will no longer exist within its current borders. And Putin knows this too. He knows that the Caucasus is collapsing, like Tatarstan, Bashkortostan and other regions. That's why we have to do our part.
Your nation is preparing for the possibility of liberating Crimea by military means. To what extent do ordinary citizens understand this?
Well, Crimea is an island, not an ordinary city. So we are not talking about attacks on cities. Military bases are located in such a way that no damage should occur.
Unlike Russia, Ukraine will not destroy civilian homes just to scare someone. I would say that people are afraid, but they also realize that the path to liberation only passes through military action.
For 10 years, the Russians have been trying to change the ethnic composition of the peninsula. To what extent have they succeeded?
If someone has not yet identified themselves, publicity may have an effect on them. This is the choice and problem of these people.
But do you know what is the difference between occupied Crimea and other occupied regions of Ukraine? There is no cohesive political state there, and in the Crimea there is an indigenous population – the Crimean Tatars. The Russians will never be able to change our memories, no matter how hard they try. This allows others to follow our example. As long as there are Crimean Tatars in Crimea, Crimea will definitely be Ukrainian.
“There are no partisans, but there is a resistance movement.”
Are there fighters operating in Crimea?
Revolutionaries are volunteer military units. Their actions would not be possible in Crimea at the moment.
However, there is clear political resistance there. This means that the occupiers cannot sleep in peace. In 2014, I said that our enemies would tire of us. I promised then that we wouldn't leave them alone.
How does this resistance work? How do they show their opposition to the occupiers? Do they hang banners and flags and distribute leaflets?
exactly. But this has been going on for 10 years. The whole world now knows that Crimea is Ukraine. We, as indigenous people, have done a lot to communicate this. We have always condemned the Russian occupation. But our employees also collect and transmit data relating to the location of the occupiers.
The most important thing is that when the Ukrainian army enters Crimea, everything will happen very quickly. Because it will have the support of the resistance movement there. And the Russians know that.
I mentioned at the beginning that life in Crimea is now very difficult. Is it about prices? About fuel?
In 2014, the Russians gave us bonuses and increased pensions and salaries of government officials. But these surpluses have long since been eroded by inflation. Prices rose dramatically. There are logistical problems and there is not the competition that existed before. In addition, billions of dollars in infrastructure investments have been stolen by local elites.
There has been no real economy in Crimea for 10 years. Everything collapsed after communication with Ukraine was cut off. Moreover, after the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, fuel prices have risen dramatically. There is a shortage of fuel, just like food. There is also a lack of job opportunities. These consequences are very tangible to us.
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