At least 15 Crimea residents who fought on Russia's side in captivity – human rights activist

Human rights activists are aware of at least 15 Crimea resident captured by the Ukrainian side and 18 burials of the peninsula inhabitants in Crimea who fought on the side of the Russian Federation, Head of the Crimea Platform support service Maria Tomak has said.

"We are trying very carefully to monitor all the burials in Crimea that are taking place, all the information about prisoners of war from Crimea. As of now, the smallest is 18 burials that were carried out on the territory of Crimea specifically of the Crimean resident and among the prisoners that Ukraine captured, there are at least 15 prisoners from Crimea, who are mostly residents of Ukraine," Tomac said at a briefing on Tuesday in Lviv.

She also stressed that Ukrainian citizens from Crimea, illegally drafted into the Russian army, "are used in this war as manpower, as cannon fodder against their own people, against their own country."

According to her, if "these people take part in the war, and even more so are involved in war crimes on the territory of Ukraine, then they will be held accountable."

In addition, Tomak noted that human rights organizations are conducting explanatory work on how citizens of Ukraine living in Crimea can avoid mobilization into the Russian army.

Tomak recalled that since February 24, Crimea has been used as a full-fledged springboard for the Russian Federation's offensive on the territory of Ukraine.