EU imposes new sanctions against Russian security officials and collaborators in Crimea

On Friday, the European Union introduced fresh sanctions against Russian citizens and collaborators in occupied Crimea.

The EU imposed sanctions because it considers these persons to be involved in human rights violations, Rubryka reports, citing the EU's official gazette.

Multiple officials from the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) and employees of the so-called "prosecution" system in Crimea were included in the list. Among them are FSB employee Denis Korovin and FSB investigator Vitaly Vlasov. Others are representatives of the so-called  "Simferopol District Court,"  "Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea," and "Prosecutor's Office of Crimea" — deputy prosecutor Olena Podolna, judge Dlyaver Berberov, judge Viktor Krapko, and prosecutor Anastasia Supryaga. 

These people are involved in the illegal criminal prosecution of Vladyslav Yesipenko. According to the EU, he criticized the regime of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison.

Persecution in Crimea

According to recent reports from occupied Crimea, the Russians are strengthening what they called "counter-subversive measures" directed against "the population disloyal to the Russian authorities."

The Russians are increasing the count of "police officers" who search for the Ukrainian underground, monitoring any displays of criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since the beginning of the year, they have detained more than 100 residents suspected of "disloyalty."

Local Russia-appointed authorities encouraged collaborators to write up denunciations of their neighbors to stop the growth of critical sentiments on the peninsula.

At the end of August, the Russian invaders led large-scale searches in Bakhchisarai City and the Bakhchisarai district of the occupied Crimea. The Russians searched the houses of the Crimean Tatars.

The FSB also summoned citizens involved in fabricated cases about the so-called discrediting of the Russian army to "preventive conversations."

In July, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the war would not end for Ukraine until all Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by Russia, including Crimea, that has been illegally annexed by Russia nine years ago, were liberated. Later, he added, Ukraine is preparing a set of security, economic, and social steps for de-occupation and reintegration of the peninsula.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, also said that no one will stop him in his intention to liberate Crimea.