Data on number of Crimean Tatars who left occupied peninsula in 10 years revealed
Tens of thousands of Crimean Tatars have left Crimea in 10 years (Getty Images)
Approximately 50,000 Crimean Tatars have been forced to leave Crimea. The fleeing gained momentum particularly when the occupiers announced a mobilization for the Russian army, according to Refat Chubarov, the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
According to him, before the Russian invasion in early 2014, Crimea was home to around 300,000 Crimean Tatars, constituting about 13% of the peninsula's population.
"Unfortunately, we cannot provide an exact figure for how many Crimean Tatars remain there after 10 years of occupation. Many have left due to persecution. People fear for their lives, the lives of their children, and loved ones. But there are also those who, for various reasons, cannot leave. My mother is over 90 years old. She is in Crimea, and I haven't had the opportunity to see her in all these years," Chubarov said.
He added that the active phase of Crimean Tatars leaving occurred when the occupation regime announced mobilization in September 2022.
"Men left to avoid conscription. Many left with their families, some left alone. In total, I can give an approximate estimate: up to 50,000 people were forced to leave Crimea," he said.
Situation in Crimea
In late February 2014, Russians invaded Crimea. The peninsula was the first target of aggression by Russian occupiers.
Explosions have become more frequent in Crimea recently. Our defenders have carried out dozens of operations on the peninsula and in the Black Sea, destroying Russian bases, warehouses, and ships.
In early January 2024, a point of assembly for Russian occupying forces near the occupied Sevastopol was struck.
Additionally, the Ukrainian Air Force targeted the Saki Airfield, where another enemy command point was located.
