Ukraine warns Russians against vacationing in Crimea - "Uncomfortably hot summer vacation"
Created: 08/13/2022, 06:46
By: Bettina Menzel
Smoke billows from an explosion on Saky Beach.
Several explosions took place on Tuesday (9 August) on the Crimea peninsula in the Black Sea, which was annexed by Russia.
© Uncredited/dpa/AP
Russian tourists continued vacationing in the annexed Crimea peninsula in the midst of the war.
But after explosions, Ukraine is now warning of an “uncomfortably hot summer vacation”.
Kyiv/Crimea - The Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia, is a popular travel destination for Russian tourists.
But after the explosions on Tuesday (9 August), many travelers fled.
According to international law, the peninsula still belongs to Ukraine - it is conceivable that the country will try to take the area back with military force.
In any case, a post by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on Twitter suggests that it could get too “hot” there for Russian tourists.
Crimean explosions: is it a Ukrainian attack?
Within days, a drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet and explosions at a military base shook the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia.
It was initially unclear how exactly the explosions had occurred on Tuesday.
Russia spoke of the fact that ammunition had exploded in a depot on the grounds of the Saki military airfield.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense initially announced that it could not say anything about the cause of the explosions.
The front is about 300 kilometers from Sevastopol, the largest city on the peninsula.
Officially, Ukraine does not have missiles of sufficient range to hit targets on the peninsula.
Experts therefore initially suspected an act of sabotage by partisans or special forces close to Ukraine.
The prestigious US newspaper
New York Times
, citing a military source, reported that Ukrainian forces were behind the attack.
The information could not initially be verified.
Ukraine's success in Crimea would be an embarrassment to Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry warns Russian Crimean tourists against 'uncomfortably hot summer vacation'
Crimea is actually a popular holiday destination.
Even in the middle of the Ukraine war, Russian tourists continued to travel to the peninsula - albeit less than in the previous year.
The road to Crimea is difficult these days: Because of the no-fly zone in southern Russia, it is difficult to get to the Black Sea coast.
But because of Western sanctions against Moscow, suspended flights and economic woes, many popular travel destinations in Europe and elsewhere are off-limits to Russians this year.
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On Thursday (11 August), Ukraine's Defense Ministry issued a whimsical Twitter post warning Russian tourists not to travel to Crimea.
"We advise our esteemed Russian guests not to visit Ukraine's Crimea unless they want to spend an uncomfortably hot summer vacation," the ministry wrote, sharing a video.
"Because no amount of sunscreen is going to protect you from the dangerous effects of smoking in unauthorized areas." A jab at the explosions that were accompanied by heavy smoke.
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Ukrainian Defense Ministry to Russian tourists: "It's time to go home!"
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense video first shows various popular holiday destinations for Russian tourists, from Turkey to Cuba.
"You had a few options this summer," read the caption.
Then comes the laconic comment: “You chose Crimea.
Big mistake.” Video footage of the explosions on the peninsula then appears, with tourists fleeing the beach in the foreground.
"It's time to go home," is the advice of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in the face of these images.
The summer hit "Cruel Summer" by the 80s girl group Bananarama sounds in the background.
"Crimea is Ukraine," it says at the end of the video, written in the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
Meanwhile, a state of emergency has been declared in Crimea.
After the explosions, many travelers fled, sometimes long lines of cars formed in front of the famous Crimean Bridge near Kerch.
There will probably be no large tourist influx in Crimea in the future, even without the urgent warning of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after the blasts that Crimea had turned into one of the most dangerous places in Europe and promised to liberate the peninsula.
"The Black Sea region cannot be safe as long as Crimea is occupied," he said.
"This Russian war against Ukraine, against all free Europe, started with Crimea and must end with Crimea, with its liberation."
