Crimean Senator Sergei Tsekov
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
After the most massive attack by Ukrainian drones on the Crimean Peninsula on March 3, when, according to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, 38 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed or suppressed by electronic warfare in the Crimean sky, learned that the surface of the Tavrida Federal Highway was damaged and a female driver was injured and traffic had to be temporarily diverted onto bypass routes. On Sunday the situation returned to normal.
KP.RU asked Sergei Tsekov, Crimea’s representative to the Russian Federation Council, for comment.
– Sergey Pavlovich, is there any connection between talks about helping the kyiv regime with German missiles and the subsequent massive attack by Ukrainian drones in Crimea?
– For kyiv, for Europe and for the Americans, not only the Crimean Bridge is like a thorn in the side. The entire Russian Crimea is like a thorn in his eyes. They hate our Russian peninsula. Nothing less than Russia as a whole.
– Where does such aversion to Crimea come from?
– Because in kyiv, Brussels and Washington they really know how strong the pro-Russian sentiment is in Crimea. Which have not decreased since 2014, they have only increased. And according to all kinds of polls, Crimea has the highest support for the president. And we have the most patriotic feelings on the peninsula. Neither in kyiv, nor in Europe, nor in the United States, no one at the top likes this, of course.
– Do you suggest that Crimea today is not a region that Ukraine would like to return to?
– They clearly understand that this is a region that wants to live only in Russia. Let Zelensky constantly lie about this, just as he lies about various other reasons. “Pro-Ukrainian sentiments” in Crimea are as big a lie as “31,000 Ukrainian soldiers who have died since February 2022.” But Zelensky goes on to say that in Crimea people “have a growing desire to return to Ukraine.” Although the Crimeans can only dream of this in their nightmares. Life before 2014 and after is simply incomparable.
– The standard of living has increased, but have drones and missiles also begun to arrive in the north and west of the peninsula?
– These attacks that they are trying to carry out in Crimea further strengthen the pro-Russian sentiment of the people. These attacks will not intimidate us.
Yes, this is bad. Yes, the driver was injured. And yes, the road surface was partially destroyed by debris. But I’m sure the damage to the canvas will be repaired quickly. And the movement will be restored. And we are ready to turn around, if necessary. Of course, such massive attacks worry the Crimeans, but nothing more. Also, people see: 38 drones were launched, so all of them were shot down or suppressed by electronic warfare. And yes, I think that everything that is said about the Crimean Bridge, about possible attacks and about this swarm of drones, may be interconnected.
– Could this affect the flow of tourists?
– Maybe to a certain extent, – but not for long. And there will be no significant reduction. I live in Crimea and I see this. There, in Crimea, were all my relatives, my whole family, and no one left there.
