The Russian occupation authorities in Crimea claim that in November alone they “nationalized” more than 130 large commercial and industrial enterprises belonging to Ukraine, according to the message of the Russian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Kyiv Independent reports.
Among them is the chain of DIY hypermarkets, a cement plant in Bakhchisarai and a shipyard in Kerch.
According to RFE/RL’s investigation, DIY hypermarkets are owned by Ukrainian MP and billionaire Oleksandr Gerez and his wife Galina Gerez. Previously, the Gereys denied having a business in the occupied Crimea.
The Kerch shipyards were owned by Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Zhevago before Russia occupied the peninsula in 2014, the report said.
In mid-October, the Russian-controlled “parliament” of occupied Crimea announced that the businesses of those who support Ukraine would be “nationalized.” Russia has occupied Crimea since March 2014 and considers it its territory. The annexation of Crimea by Russia was illegal and not recognized at the international level. Ukraine has insisted it aims to liberate the peninsula during the war launched by Russia in February.
In early November, Russian troops in occupied Crimea began building fortifications on the peninsula and in the occupied part of the Kherson region, preparing for a possible offensive by Ukraine in the south.
Source: Hot News
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