Crimea tourism crisis: Mass cancellations amid security fears

Russian tourists are increasingly canceling trips to Crimea, citing the "difficult security situation." Ukrainian military intelligence HUR reported this on Friday on its Telegram channel. Trips to Sevastopol are the most frequently canceled.

Russian tourists are massively canceling trips to Crimea due to the "difficult security situation." According to information provided by Ukrainian military intelligence, in June, the number of cancellations of stays in Crimea exceeded 30 percent. The situation is even more noticeable in Sevastopol, where as much as 80 percent of bookings were canceled by vacationers.

HUR points out that "The mass refusal of Russians to vacation in Crimea was influenced by the unreliable and deadly work of the invaders' air defense system." Tourists are worried about frequent alarms and that the systems do not always effectively protect against air threats.

Security concerns intensified last month when three people died during the shooting down of Ukrainian drones by Russian forces.

Russia maintains military bases in Crimea, including Sevastopol, a strategic port for the Kremlin's Black Sea Fleet. However, in recent weeks, a significant portion of Russian military forces was withdrawn from the peninsula due to precise Ukrainian strikes.

Now, the tourism industry in Crimea is in trouble. In May, local sanatoriums and resorts offered up to 40 percent discounts to attract Russian tourists. Despite these promotions, occupancy was significantly lower than in previous years, directly affecting the ongoing armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, Ukrainian forces conducted an attack on a Russian coast guard base near Lake Donuzlav, located in the west of occupied Crimea.

The operation involved the use of drones, both maritime and airborne. As a result of the attack, the headquarters and command post, ammunition and equipment depot, electrical substation, technical equipment, and Russian firing positions were destroyed.

The attack carried out by Ukrainian forces was a coordinated strike aimed at weakening the Russian military presence in Crimea. A source in Ukrainian special services reported that at the time of the attack, Russian naval forces were conducting exercises to protect Lake Donuzlav's waters.