June 3, 2025, 8:52 p.m.
(Refat Chubarov. Photo: UNIAN)
The head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, strongly recommended that Russian citizens illegally staying in the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea leave the peninsula immediately.
According to Chubarov, his appeal is not connected with the desire to protect Russians from the real danger they are exposed to of their own free will.
"No, there are more prosaic reasons related to preparations for de-occupation and liberation of Crimea. If you stay in Crimea until then, Russian generals will definitely use you as a human shield to save their own skins. Believe me, this is not the first time they have done this," explained the head of the Mejlis.
Therefore, he urged Russians not to postpone their departure from Crimea until tomorrow.
"You just might not make it in time," Chubarov said.
He addressed his appeal to those who settled in Crimea from February 27, 2014 to the present day. And also to those who are currently in the occupied Crimea, so to speak, "on vacation".
"As you are already aware, the illegally built Kerch Bridge, which connects the occupied Crimea with the territory of the aggressor country, Russia, will soon be demolished. And you may find yourself in a kind of "sack". Therefore, I strongly recommend that you urgently leave the peninsula and go home to Russia, to the places from where you illegally came to the occupied Crimea," said Refat Chubarov.
On Tuesday, June 3, Ukraine's security services blew up the Crimean bridge for the third time. SBU agents mined the pillars of this illegal object and at 4:44 am the first explosive device was activated. The underwater supports of the pylons were severely damaged at the bottom level - 1100 kg of explosives in TNT equivalent contributed to this. In fact, the bridge is in a state of emergency<i>.</i>
The Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk , who personally supervised the operation and coordinated its planning, noted that the Crimean bridge was a legitimate target, especially given that the enemy used it as a logistical artery to supply its troops. Crimea is Ukraine, and any manifestations of occupation will be met with our tough response.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Mejlis Refat Chubarov commented on possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia that may start in Istanbul and the role of Crimea in this process. He said that it is Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars who are most eager for peace, as they have been living in a war started by the Russian Federation for more than a decade.
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