On the territory of occupied Crimea, Russia consistently and purposefully pursues a policy of extermination and displacement of indigenous peoples. This was stated in a statement issued by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on August 9 on the occasion of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples. As recalled in the department, the indigenous peoples of Ukraine are the Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krymchaks. 

"The Russian occupation administration for political or religious reasons illegally detains more than 120 Ukrainian citizens from Crimea, most of whom are Crimean Tatars. Since 2016, the occupation authorities have banned the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and have ignored the order of the International Court of Justice for more than six years," the ministry stressed. 

Ukraine makes maximum efforts to ensure the rights and freedoms of representatives of indigenous peoples in the temporarily occupied territories. The human rights track is one of the five priorities of the International Crimean Platform.

In addition, Ukraine is mobilizing international partners to increase pressure on Russia to counter mass human rights violations on the peninsula.