Employers are delaying wages and forcing workers to take unpaid leave or resign voluntarily, according to posts on social media.
At the same time, employers themselves are reporting financial difficulties and an effective shutdown of operations. Ukraine’s campaign to isolate the occupied peninsula has disrupted the tourist season, sharply reducing business revenues.
One resident of occupied Simferopol said drivers at a local company had not been paid for May and June. She also asked “what people who have been forced to take unpaid leave and have gone two months without receiving their wages are supposed to do.”
Another Simferopol resident asked “what about taxes,” explaining that “my husband worked in transportation, but now the vehicle is idle and there is no income.”
“It’s very interesting to know when everything will return to normal. Work has stopped, there are no salaries. How are we supposed to feed our families, and with what?” one comment read.
The agency also highlighted a comment from a resident of occupied Kerch who said employees at her workplace were being asked to submit resignation letters. “How are people supposed to survive under these conditions? Businesses are shutting down,” she was quoted as saying.
Earlier, a video appeal by employees of the TES gas station chain addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin circulated online. In the video, workers said the jobs of 2,500 employees were at risk.
The agency noted that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin had promised support measures for Crimea’s tourism sector, but no concrete decisions have been announced.
Situation in Crimea
Crimea’s fuel crisis deepened in June following repeated Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and logistics facilities on the occupied peninsula. Multi-kilometer traffic jams have formed on roads leading out of Crimea. The Russian-installed authorities have announced the closure of children’s camps, and the tourist season has effectively collapsed.
The peninsula has come under drone attacks almost every night, with explosions reported in multiple cities. Ukrainian officials say military facilities, electrical substations, oil terminals and other Russian infrastructure have been hit.
Ukraine’s Defense Forces have also continued striking bridges and crossings linking Crimea with Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine.
On June 25, the Russian-controlled utility Krymenergo announced “temporary power outages” across Crimea.
On June 26, Russian-installed Crimea head Sergey Aksyonov declared a state of emergency across the peninsula effective from 1 p.m., saying the measure was primarily intended to address economic challenges.