Russian occupation authorities have begun clearing Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula, which was occupied by Russia in 2014, Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, said on the Ukrainian state TV channel Freedom on March 24.
The day before, local residents heard warnings on VHF stations to be ready to leave, he said, adding that the warning was for those collaborating with the enemy.
“In order for peace and order to be restored there, the peninsula should be deoccupied so the legal Ukrainian authorities can return there,” Yukon said on the official website of the Ukrainian intelligence service.
“Indeed (should Crimea return to its original Ukrainian port), which will certainly happen in the near future. Therefore, everyone who works for Russia should leave Crimea in Ukraine in the near future,” he said.
An intelligence official said Russian commanders and the occupying administration were very active in selling real estate and relocating their families from Crimea.
But they told the others, like ordinary soldiers, not to worry that everything would be calm and everything would be under their control … But actually it became a meme that the so-called war with Ukraine is going on as planned … Families related to Russians are being deported, and fairly quickly. And this is a sign for all those who linked their fate with the Kremlin’s criminal regime.
Yukon said it would be better if the Russians left Crimea now while they still had a chance. Earlier, Deputy Chief of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Vadim said that the Russian invaders are preparing to defend occupied Crimea. He said the Defense Group was building fortifications on the peninsula.
The Crimean peninsula has been under Russian occupation since 2014 following a fake referendum staged by Russia to annex the territory.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion to return all of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea.
(With inputs from the voice of Ukraine )
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