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| Moscow Places Ukraine's Occupied Crimea Region On All-Out War Footing |
| 2022-12-16 |
| [RFERL] In a publicity gesture in November, Sergei Aksyonov -- the Russian-installed head of Ukraine's Crimea region -- visited frontline Russian forces on mainland Ukraine last month and delivered to them socks and other basic goods. "I visited the region controlled by our warriors, once again bearing gifts," Aksyonov reported. "We brought two truckloads of essentials -- socks, clothes, medicine, generators, and so on. We also brought our defenders televisions." Crimea -- which Russia has occupied since 2014 -- has been a key staging area for the Russian military since Moscow launched its massive invasion of Ukraine in February. Troops, weaponry, equipment, and supplies have been funneled through the peninsula over the Russian-built bridge that spans the Kerch Strait and by sea. But in recent months, Moscow has ramped up efforts to mobilize the peninsula's resources in support of the war against Ukraine. In late October, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a heightened state of security for regions bordering Ukraine and for Crimea. Under Putin's order, occupation authorities in Crimea have expanded authority to "requisition civilian infrastructure to meet the needs of the armed forces," according to international security consultants Crisis24. Virtually all the major enterprises on the peninsula are working under the occupation-authority slogan "For Russia's Victory," and increasingly small businesses and civilian organizations, including schools, are being harnessed to provide basic supplies to Russia's ill-equipped army. Shortly after Putin announced military mobilization in late September, the local offices of Russia's ruling United Russia political party began collecting supplies for the troops from Crimean civilians. The region's efforts to send the most basic supplies to the troops seem to confirm reports that Russia has had difficulty equipping the force that officials routinely call "the No. 2 army in the world." CANDLES AND CROISSANTS A report from a media outlet linked to the occupation authorities on November 17 said that "Crimean organizations and enterprises have directed their work toward aiding the front." "The production of a plant in [regional capital] Simferopol is being used for ground, air, and space weapons…. Crimean bakeries are sending pies and croissants to the front. Simferopol college students are sewing raincoats for the military," the report asserted. "Volunteers from across Crimea are making borscht, producing candles, and knitting socks." In a social-media post on December 6, Aksyonov reported the shipment of "humanitarian aid" to Russian ground forces, including "gas stoves and canisters, portable heaters, thermal underwear, warm clothes, sleeping bags, medicines, groceries, and hygiene products." |
| Posted by:mossomo |