The Russian-Ukrainian war, which began with the occupation of Crimea in 2014, was a tragedy for its residents...

The world's inaction then led to a full-scale invasion in 2022, destroyed cities and millions of refugees. Crimea, the homeland of the Crimean Tatars, became a military foothold for Russia.

More than a million Russians have been resettled on the peninsula, and the indigenous population is being repressed. Moscow is deliberately destroying the identity of Crimean Tatars, continuing a policy that began under Catherine the Great. Crimean residents live in fear: speaking Ukrainian or posting on social media can land you in jail.

The older generation, who survived the deportation of 1944, is once again losing their peaceful old age. Young people are deprived of the right to a free future, and children are forced to forget their native language and hate Ukraine in schools.

Many are fleeing Crimea, and those who stay risk being imprisoned.Eleven years of war means a stolen future, a generation growing up under explosions, and lost time.

Russia is stealing not only territories, but also the lives of Ukrainians. Standing up and liberating Crimea is the only way forward.