expressing particular concern about the uncontrolled deployment by the Russian Federation in Crimea of nuclear facilities and materials, weapons systems, including aircraft and missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons, the renewal of storage sites for Soviet-era nuclear weapons near Sevastopol and Feodosia, which could entail nuclear contamination of land, water and the air environment of the peninsula;
reaffirming the concern about uncontrolled mass extraction for the needs of militarization, industry and construction of natural resources, namely sand and other materials in Crimea, as well as in the inland waters and on the continental shelf of the Black and Azov Seas, which leads to unjustified depletion and pollution of water resources, changes in the coastline, negative changes in currents and biological systems of the seabed, including threats to the unique wetlands of the Kalamita and Karkinit bays, the Donuzlav bay, the Bakalska spit and the Lebedyni Islands, as well as to the Small Philophoric Field of Zernov,
noting the risk of uncontrolled pollution of the marine environment with oil products, wastes and discharges due to permanent residence, as well as exercises in the Kerch Strait, the waters of the bays of Sevastopol, in the Donuzlav and Syvash bays of the ships of the Navy, the Border Service of the Federal Security Service and the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation,
condemning the pollution of the continental shelf and the exclusive maritime economic zone of the Black and Azov Seas as a result of the uncontrolled production of petroleum products by the Russian Federation at the Arkhangelsk, Bulhanak, Holitsyn, Kazantyp, Odesa and Shtormove fields,
being seriously concerned about the pollution of the ground, water and air environment of Crimea, the Syvash Bay of the Azov Sea, the Karkinit Bay of the Black Sea, the adjacent territories of the Kherson region due to the uncontrolled operation of the chemical industry enterprises of the Northern Crimea without appropriate treatment facilities and technologies in conditions of the presence of armed forces units on the territory of enterprises of the Russian Federation,
being deeply concerned about the uncontrolled and unjustified humanitarian needs of the population of mass and uncontrolled production for the needs of the armed forces, industry and the construction of non-renewable limited reserves of artesian waters in Crimea, which prevent salinization and dehydration of the peninsula's ecosystems, as well as the mismanagement of the de facto authorities of the Russian Federation in Crimea to water use from the available underground and surface sources of Crimea, including the degradation of reservoirs and water distribution systems, the unreasoned transfer of water from natural watercourses,
noting the destruction by the de facto authorities of the Russian Federation of the unique ecosystems of Mediterranean vegetation in Sevastopol and Southern Crimea, as well as those important for the historical memory and everyday culture of the indigenous peoples of Crimea, primarily the Crimean Tatar, natural objects and monuments for the purpose of building, expanding military bases and training grounds,
condemning the mass uncontrolled extraction of biological resources of the Azov and Black Seas, including prohibited species and by the prohibited fishing gear, organized by the Russian Federation in violation of international obligations from the territory of Crimea,
the Crimean Tatar Resource Center urges the Russian Federation:
– to stop the pollution of the air, land and water environment of Crimea and adjacent sea areas within the framework of the militarization and nuclearization of the peninsula, the uncontrolled activities of the chemical industry in the North of Crimea;
– to extract artesian water in Crimea solely to meet the basic needs of the population and, provided there are no other sources, to optimize economic activities in Crimea as a dry area, to stop artificially increasing the demand for water use in Crimea by operating water-intensive enterprises and illegal mass resettlement of citizens of the Russian Federation to Crimea, and placement and expansion of military bases in Crimea, rationally use of the system of reservoirs and water distribution systems of the peninsula;
– to stop illegal extraction of sand and other building materials in inland waters and on the continental shelf of the Black and Azov Seas adjacent to the Crimea, entailing the destruction of unique marine and coastal ecosystems;
– to stop illegal and environmentally threatening production of oil products at the Arkhangelsk, Bulhanak, Holitsyn, Kazantyp, Odesa and Shtormove fields on the continental shelf of the Black and Azov seas;
– to stop the uncontrolled operation of chemical industry enterprises in the Northern Crimea, entailing irreparable damage to the ecosystems of the region;
– take the necessary measures to stop the pollution of the marine environment within the framework of the militarization of Crimea, including exercises;
– stop the destruction of unique natural objects and monuments of Crimea;
– comply mutatis mutandis in Crimea and the sea waters adjacent to Crimea as an occupying state, the norms of international maritime law, existing regional agreements on the protection of the marine environment from pollution and unjustified exploitation;
– comply mutatis mutandis in Crimea and the sea waters adjacent to Crimea as an occupying state, the norms of international environmental law on dumping and transportation of wastes, transboundary impact and protection of wetlands;
– adhere to the rights of indigenous peoples guaranteed by international law, in particular the Crimean Tatar in Crimea, to traditional use of natural resources, to preserve natural monuments, landscapes and ecosystems with which indigenous peoples have a special connection.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center calls on the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the BSEC Parliamentary Assembly, governments and parliaments of the world's states, the international community to increase diplomatic and economic pressure against the Russian Federation and the occupation authorities of Crimea, in order to end the militarization and ecocide of the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Press Service of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center