SitRep Sevastopol and Krimea 30.11.2015
While citizens in Sevastopol are getting used to the deprivations from the power cut off, the lack of power is still extant.
1. Russia Army is sending a complete field hospital to Krimea. The hospital is complete including a surgical ward and diagnostic center with the most modern diagnostic machines. It is my understanding that this hospital will be used in the more rural areas to service patients who have difficulty traveling to the larger cities.
2. Weather. It’s going to deteriorate over the next week, highs for our city will be 8 to 10 cent., lows of 2 to 6. Our local climate is very soft and unique for the peninsula and a bit warmer than even 20 kilometers north and east of this charming city. This weather change will bring more hardship to both this city and the peninsula. If we are down to 2 at night in most the rest of Krimea it will be zero or well below. The real problems are about to start. Our harbor and coast has not frozen in living memory. This can not be said of 50 kilometers north of us or the south coast. Kerch is subject to some very strong winter storms and a few years ago it’s harbor froze over. These storms will affect both ferry service to the mainland and construction of the bridge and electric supply system.
3. One of the two feeds from Ukraine is supposedly repaired but has not been put in service. There are total power outages in some areas of Kherson Oblast because of the power line destruction. Kiev is doing nothing to alleviate this problem.
4. Solar power is, or was, under development in Krimea. There is a large system constructed near Yevpatoria on the northwest coast that is not in service. There is a smaller system not two kilometers from our house on north side that is not in service. Both I think belong to President Yanukovich’s son but I may be wrong on the Yevpatoria system.
5. The nuclear plants in Ukraine do have power including the one that is near the power outage area. Regardless of Kiev’s protestations of lack of power for the feed water pumps at the plant it is patently ludicrous to state that a functioning nuclear power plant does not have or generate power to run its own pumps.
6. More shops and restaurants are obtaining generators as can be seen. Most smaller stores and restaurants have their own heat pump like heating and cooling systems. These systems do not draw much power and are sufficient to keep the businesses warm in winter.
7. Some bright light in city administration has finally shut down most of the street lights. In past nights as power came on is various districts the street lamps in other districts, including ours, were lit up like Christmas trees while everything else was dark. Go figure.
8. Tatari. There is no problem with the Tatari regardless of reports in west media. They are just as inconvenienced with the power outage as everyone else and those we have talked to had an intense dislike of the mejilis before this event. This dislike has noticeably increased as the level of discomfort and inconvenience has increased. The mejilis received less than 5% of the votes in the last uke elections but retained all power in Bachti Sarai and surrounding areas. The leader of mejilis obtained giant money and lands from Kiev to help the Tatari returning to Krimea. The land was given to favorites and comrades of mejilis, the money disappeared. The streets in Bachti Sarai make our sorry roads and streets look like heaven, compliments of mejilis.
9. Petrol supplies are very much better. Rumor has it that someone will be counting trees very soon over the sudden lack of petrol supply last week.
10. Food supplies are as in the previous SitRep. No one will be hungry and prices are staying normal. Wine and spirits are also in normal supply although the monks in Inkerman have apparently been remiss in bottling the next batch of our favorite wine, said batch being available in three weeks or so. When finding the shelf empty my wife growled something to the effect of the monks and administration forgetting 1917. She does like her evening glass as we sit and talk of the events of the day. Perhaps today I’ll tell her I have two bottles set aside for emergencies.
11. All the normal treats and specialties are available including Baklava, a Tatar specialty. The only shortage if you want to call it that is ice cream but then it’s not quite the season for that.
12. One of the problems of no electric is laundry. The older flats buildings have the proverbial One Big Heating System that feeds sometimes large numbers of flats buildings. This heating plant provides both heat in the radiator system and hot water for the flat occupants. When heating season is over often the plants shut down for ‘renovations’ for the entire summer, in other words the flats occupants have no hot water for washing and bathing. Some plants will provide hot water a couple hours an evening. With the current shortage of electricity the plants are providing only radiator heat for the most part. Women are back to doing laundry the old way, in cold water and by hand. It is estimated that 15% of flats and houses have a washing machine of some size, generally quite small but again, several of the women my wife talked to say every time they start a load of laundry the electric goes off.
13. Personal hygiene. One can heat water for bathing on the stove and this is now being done by the majority of residents of this berg.
14. Guests. It is estimated that in this city there are over 60,000 guests in residence from both the fighting in Novorossiya and the problems in Ukraine. In peninsula it is estimated the numbers approach 100,000. Most have been here since early summer 2014 and an unusually large number are military age men. I and most others understand that not all men have the stones to stand in the lines and trade musketry with the enemy but men, and women, can all do something for the war effort. Most seem to be relatively well heeled and require nothing from the government. However, the locals are beginning to question why all these people, in particular numbers of young men, are down here enjoying our climate and peaceful way of life while not small numbers of our local boys are up north fighting.
15. Sunday morning my bride and I did a recon, we drove out to quite a few villages, near and far. We stopped in many and spoke to the locals about their situations, choosing shop and kiosk areas in the villages. I heard not a single generator in any of the villages although all the food and supply stores and kiosks were open, candles being the general light provider. All the shops had custom. We spoke to a good number of shop and kiosk workers. All said supply of goods and foods was no problem with but a couple exceptions, those being candles and flashlights. Candles were to be had nowhere and only one kiosk we inspected had a very few flashlights. Rechargeable batteries are technically useless without electric to run the chargers but the locals in each village had a car battery set up and were charging flashlight batteries and cell phones from that device for those who do not have a car.
In most of the villages the locals said they had had little if any electric since the onset of the problems, at best an hour a day and many had none for a week. These are villages well away from Sevastopol, Bachti Sarai and Simferopol and off the beaten track. You will not find a single petrol station once away from more populated areas or heavily traveled roads, they just ain’t there.
The locals are making do, almost all have wells and the villages all have at least one hand draw well. About half have natural gas supply and telephone service. Those that don’t, life hasn’t changed a bit, they are using bottle gas for most cooking as always, cell phones for communication and wifi for internet. Heat for many is provided by the original built in stoves and often the stoves are used for cooking the old way. Supplies of coal and wood for the old style stoves are adequate While there was discontent with the electric stoppages they are getting on with life.
16. All in all the situation is manageable although quite inconvenient for almost everyone. City Admin is doing what they can as is Krimea Admin. It seems now almost every day someone in both administrations is fired for being remiss in their duties. I don’t know if part of this is ‘shoot a few for the encouragement of the others’ but on the other hand I can think of a few who need to be gone but are still in place.
by Auslander Sevastopol, Crimea RF
Auslander: Thanks so much for your very interesting and varied reports of the situation from the ground in Crimea. They are something to look forward to.
You guys need to look up the Asura ‘goddess’ Danu to discover the origin of Celts & slavs i.e danavas.
Consort of Rishi Kashyap whom Kashmir is named after.
Just message for wend & leary :)
Let the worship of Bharat Ma continue & the anti human anti love abrahamic forces be broken.
Those who seek to put a foot on nature, will meet her sons.
The Sikhs,
Thanks, Auslander man! But tells us about the public mind, the zeit. Do the people see this as a war? Between what parties? And do they see the events of today as preliminary to a hot war? Do they expect Turks to close, attempt to close, Bosporus? What measure would be expected if straits closed to Russ? Many may see that, closing of strait, as strategy goal of some “western partners”…
Conditions there do seem very harsh Auslandier, although there is some baklava at least. I am glad you have some wine reserved for special occasions, but you will need sparkling water for your guests, just in case they prefer this.
What a pity your wife growls at you and the climate is frosty at times, that must really dampen the mood. In Bangladesh we say, “All’s fair in love and war” but that’s the world of bliss for you, and besides, I never understood either.
Thank you Auslander, for the updates. I read them religiously
Auslander,
I’d like to get in touch with you privately, but exchanging emails in public isn’t the best way. If you’re willing, please ask a moderator to give you mine or something along those lines. I’ve already emailed Saker but he obviously has other things on his mind right now.
As for Crimea situation, I was also told that certain city officials in Simferopol were shown the door yesterday. It seems that city authorities have received around 150 transportable generators about a year ago just for an emergency like this, and now when they are sorely needed – not a single one of those generators can be found. Frankly, I think they got off lightly.
Situation with Tatars in SImferopol is also same as you describe – Crimea is their homeland and they want to see it prosper. If they could get their hands on those idiots who blew up the electricity pylons, they would rip their heads off (to put it mildly). After cutting their water supply last year and this now, Ukraine has now become hated and not just disliked as before.
On a funny note, many Russian people in situations like this run their front loader washing machines on linen cycle (95 degrees) but empty and when the cycle is finished, machine pumps out clean hot water into the bath tub. Then just add cold water as needed and presto – warm bath, with “romantic” candles into the bargain :)
Hi Mike
I take it you live in Sim. Look in this. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGCY8KK
I have heard of the missing generators and I’ve heard that our procorotora is looking in to that situation with alacrity. It’s my understanding that there will be a bit more from this theft than just being shown the door. Apparently the generators have been found, at least some of them, in a commercial entity. It never ceases to amaze me concerning the blatant graft and theft. Did they think they would get away with this, especially now when the generators are sorely needed?
What is your take on the mood of the citizens in Sim? Here, ours are just buckling down and having at it. There will be no revolution against the local powers that be but I think for the moment they had better get off their lazy bums and get to work instead of going on TV and telling what a wonderful job they are doing.
We are at three periods of electric service a day, two hours each. One comes on about 02:00. Net is spotty but not bad considering.
Kind regards
Auslander
Auslander,
I’m guessing you’re telling me your email address is in your book ;)
No, I live in Australia, not in Simferopol… yet. But I talk to someone there every day on skype, obviously our conversations are being cut short in the current situation.
From what I understand about the “political situation”, people are outright ANGRY at Ukraine and Ukrainians, including many many refugees enjoying safety in Crimea. Locals were sort of putting up with them, despite the fact that refugees have caused shortage of flats and therefore rent almost doubled over 12 months. They also took lots of local jobs, and again locals sort of put up with them. But this electricity fiasco is a last drop and now the locals really want them out.
Russian government of course also wants to get them out of Crimea, if nothing else just so that after the next census Ukraine won’t have an argument that 120,000 Ukrainians still live in Crimea and they have to protect them and whatnot. I have an impression that Russians will start a real cleanup early next year. At the moment I was told they are giving Turks 10 hours to get out or else, so Ukie refugees are at the second place, but it won’t be like that for long.
Missing generators and useless local government… people there are realistic and they never relied too much on any government and never will. But they do like the new one much better than the old one. There won’t be any uprising against the city government, I think people are counting on central government to deal with the local crooks in their own time, but they know that any bureacracy works sloooooowly and they aren’t holding their breath for any results just yet. And yes – people are just doing their best to make life as normal as possible. It’s going to be a difficult month, but people help each other and they will survive.
One thing is for sure – after this sorry episode, Crimea WILL be energy-independent, just like that water fiasco last year. And once the bridge is built, Ukraine will be absolutely irrelevant. You might as well move it to Africa, I doubt anyone in Crimea will notice.
Thanks, your accounts of the living conditions and resilience of the locals are fascinating! I hope that things will improve soon. (A good reminder to have a large supply of candles ready, and matches, for when something like that should happen in my own country.)
my wife from Sim. will eat ice cream, chocolate, any season time of day, so that could be a worry —–I remember at Simferopol station one new year, like -8-12C, 1 stall holder staying out til c 10pm desparate ( I presume)to sell something to a passer by in the adjacent open air market, these people are tough.
But stepdaughter is very lucky, electricity cos she is on the same power line that powers up the local prison-warm in there presumably (at the moment).
Shame the fleet is away or their generators could probably help. Best wishes Auslander.
Ps: in-laws make their own strawberry wine…………….
Wonderful description, thanks! Should be on BBC.
“However, the locals are beginning to question why all these people, in particular numbers of young men, are down here enjoying our climate and peaceful way of life while not small numbers of our local boys are up north fighting.”
A very interesting detail, Auslander. What is the cultural or historic connection between Crimea and Donbass that Crimea would send its sons to fight? Do you get the impression they are sending more than a proportionate number from the rest of Russia? Crimea always seemed to me as a historically displaced part of Russia, Donbass as Russian speaking but still definitely Ukrainian. Superficially, it would seem like Americans willing to die for Canadians, and maybe they would do that, but I am doubtful. Furthermore, Crimea seems like its own little world with its own geography, an isolated large peninsula. What am I missing? Can you explain more?
The explicit threats issued to us from the kiev junta in February 2014 was what galvanized us to do what we did. We seem to have a proportionately larger number of veterans in this city and this peninsula than most oblasti in Russian proper and as such the veterans fully understood and understand that we fight them up north or we fight them on our borders. Of course since March last year only a madman would attack Krimu but then the orcs are patently mad, aren’t they?
I do not know nor do I have any idea of the numbers of volunteers fighting for Novorossiya from particular oblasti in Russia but I do know that we seem to have a disproportionately large number from our bucolic little peninsula serving up there. This peninsula is different, in some ways isolated from main stream Russia and in a way a lot of the old values of Russian Culture are preserved here, witness the comment last February by one of the Mockba minions, to wit: “My God, these people are more Russian than we are!”
On the other hand we tend to act and act quickly, for instance the securing of the Krim Rada in Simferopol last late February and the total elimination of the right sector cadre in our city, Simferopol and Yalta rapidly.
The large number of military age men waiting out the war in Novorossiya in gentle Krim are annoying. Even I can tell the difference in their Russian and I’ve heard more than one saying he would go back the minute the war is over and take up where he left off. Methinks they are rather mistaken, more then once information concerning those who ran away has been mentioned by the military and civilian agencies in Novorossiya and the general gist of the mentionings was things will be different for those that watched the war from afar.
Auslander
This is all extremely interesting, you fill in a lot of on the ground kinds of details that one can’t get anywhere else. I hope you will consider writing a book about your Krym experiences. It is interesting not only from the standpoint of the war, but it has almost a pioneering flavor to it, you building your own house from a shell, and you with your power generator and water filters. All in a setting that is very interesting from a historical and cultural point of view, not to mention the climate and natural beauty. Even the most mundane disclosures of the challenges of daily life are extremely interesting, the way you tell it.
Perhaps Elvira (oh so yesterday) should have a quiet word in Putin’s ear (hear! hear!) concerning the difficulties at Crimea? Money my friend, and as much as possible -my money, reader, is – above all- your gain!
Many great writers are associated with Crimea, some of whom were more interested in poetry than politics. Money! How immaterial, irrelevant, insignificant, but only when actively engaged in the creative deed.
But a poet will never laugh in the face of a banker or a Politician, why is that? He knows he will offend…
Why is it, that bankers and politicians want to give advice, write this, don’t write that, write for the sakermankind, don’t just write – think – THINK! As if the labour of writing was not arduous thinking!! Ihr seid Fremden – you will not be my judge!!!
Auslander, your guests will assuredly be desirous of home made strawberry wine – could you ask Saker to give me your email for flight and accommodation details?
Je suis Crimean –
JFK: Ich bin ein Sevastopoler
GOD save you that the powerplants in so called UA don’t melt.
Dear Auslander,
It was delightful to read the other day about your dogs, a subject that interests me particularly. Who taught them to attack actually, and silently at that, and how many sheep do you have on your land, or do you hire them out to other farmers, writers I mean? Sophia especially, sounds quite irresistible.
Respectively yours,
Premier Pooches
Our dogs are not working dogs. We live on north side of harbor in what we call our little bucolic valley or the village but it is still City. Close neighbors have horses, couple cows and some goats but it is City, no doubt.
Our boys were trained and get refreshed from time to time by a known specialist organization, their dog cadre. The boys can’t be trusted outside the walls without a muzzle and strong leash but inside they are kind and gentle. We have friends with young children and both the boys will play endlessly with them in the lawn and are amazingly tender and gentle with the children. However, it is not advised to climb our walls and come inside. The boys will not be kind and here if you breach my security it is your fault for the consequences. If the boys half kill you that is not my problem nor my liability.
Sophia is the most gentle and kind of the herd. She never fights, she loves children and will let children pull her ears to their heart’s content. She is also the Alpha and finished raising young Alexandr and his sister Eloise when their mother Plyushya tired of the ‘mommy’ deal. She even produced milk which is not uncommon.
Kindest regards
Auslander
Dear Auslander,
Thank you for your most informative reply to my query. What a day it’s been, perhaps I mentioned that I am a veterinary practitioner (without spellcheck out of work years ago), apart from which, I have experience to in the realm of therapeutic complimentary animal handling. The latter, naturally, prompting my suggestion of strawberry wine for Sophia.
Those dogs do sound a handful, but have you ever considered correspondences of dynamics between the owner of a dog and the dog itself? Perhaps a little more of Sophia, and a little less of them, dear Auslander, and life might prove simpler. The thought of all those muzzles and leashes alone is exhausting.
You can only rely on Sophia being gentle for so long, is my considered opinion. Sometimes the gentlest natures are the most ferocious when taunted for too long.
Good luck, Auslander, good luck, and perhaps just once, join Sophia with a thimblefull of homemade strawberry wine.
On another note entirely, perhaps I may just mention,that before becoming a vet I was a landscape painter, and specialised in canine portraiture as well. I only mention this regarding the rather impudent speech of a previous commentator, about money.
Assuredly this was not addressed to you personally Auslander, but in the hope that (those with the clout, as one might say) may be encouraged to send great writers like you, more of the dosh.
Also, in regards to a more thorough and streamlined presentation of the arts generally. I have always found for instance, that my quick, atmospheric sketches of seaside resorts sold far better than a postcard.
So Auslander, with the cheerful expectation that the Arts councils of the Crimea subsidise your local artists, for the betterment of your whole esteemed peninsular, and in sincerest hopes that peace reigns in your house, I wish you a very good night.
Yours respectfully
Premier Pooches
Thank you for the update, Auslander. Most interesting, and good to learn heads are rolling for negligence and corruption.
Another update is available at Yalensis’s blog at awfulavalanche.wordpress.com with details of RF moves in response to the cutoff by Ukie forces. Well worth reading as are all of his posts.
PS I note that there’s someone posting comments at MOA and perhaps elsewhere using “Cortez” as a name. No relation, believe me.
today
“Radical groups of the Crimean Tatars, which blocks the Crimean peninsula with the Kherson region threatens the complete blockade World resorts, including the Kerch Strait. He said one of the leaders of the gangs in the service of a criminal junta Lenur Islyamov.
Coordinator of the civil actions to blockade the Crimean Lenur Islyamov said that after the termination of the supply of goods, products and electricity in the Crimea with the mainland Ukraine, followed by “naval blockade” of the peninsula, including in the area of the Kerch crossing, which is now the main transport artery connecting Crimea Krasnodar region of the Russian Federation.
“We will go further. We will do network blockade will continue naval blockade, that is, the Crimea will be in complete isolation. Including will blockade and the Kerch crossing. Let them not excel and do not think that we can not do it “- said the terrorist Islyamov.”
http://www.anna-news.info/node/48089
google translate
getting more serious now?
They are drug addicts. Do not pay attention. It’s one thing to block the part of Ukraine, and quite another to climb into the territory controlled by Russia.
Good description. I live in Sevastopol too.
I saw two big trucks at the Avtorinka offloading shiny red generators for sale on the side of the road. It looked like they were pretty serious, there must have been at least fifty little gen sets lined up on the curb.
Candle sellers are all over my neighborhood. (Gagargin district) the candles are about 20 cm long, and 20 mm round. tannish in color. We burned some the last few nights and they burn slow and don’t smoke. 40 rubles each.
I’ve been here for about ten years. If you’ve time, send me an Email. pashtoons72@yahoo.com perhaps we could meet somewhere at your convenience and compare notes. There were a number of European and American Ex-pats that used to meet at the Potato House. I think most of them are gone now. I didn’t really hang out with them much as I had nothing in common with any of them.
Cheers.
Attacks like this generate massive amounts of economic damage, while having a lesser effect on the population. If attacks like this can be kept up routinely, Crimea(or anywhere) will collapse. Also none of the attackers were caught/injured/killed so they’ll be more familiar to carry out future attacks. Others will also notice the results and create copy cat attacks.
But the bigger thing about attacks like this is it exposes the government/corporation as impotent and ineffective. If the Russian (or any) government can’t guarantee basic electricity, it loses legitimacy and eventually dissolves. If attacks like this continue and expand into Russia’s energy sector, Russia can be defeated. The key for the attacker would be to remain anonymous. If the attackers were caught and found to be working for official Kiev, Russia would respond in kind.