Russia launches crackdown in occupied Henichesk after Russian flag found in trash bin

In the Russian-occupied city of Henichesk in Kherson Oblast, Russian forces are conducting widespread searches, particularly targeting young people and students who have returned home for the holidays, according to the Yellow Ribbon movement, citing local activists.

The Yellow Ribbon movement has become a powerful symbol of Ukrainian resistance in occupied territories. With thousands of members, it plays a vital role in defying the occupation by raising Ukrainian flags on landmarks and distributing materials that showcase the resilience of Ukrainians under Russian control.

The searches were triggered by the discovery of a Russian flag discarded in a trash bin. According to activists, the occupiers are inspecting phones and laptops, looking for “evidence of disloyalty.”

In fall 2022, Ukrainian forces liberated the right-bank part of Kherson Oblast, including the city of Kherson. However, the area on the left bank of the Dnipro River remains under Russian occupation.

Earlier, Acting Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea, Olha Kuryshko, said that since Crimea’s annexation in 2014, Russian authorities replaced more than 35% of the peninsula’s population.

Kuryshko noted that a sociological study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology revealed significant changes in the ethnic structure of the region’s population since the occupation.

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