Viktor Motorin, from Siberia, until recently could get on a plane and go to Crimea in just four hours. Now things have become very difficult. He has to fly to Moscow first and then spend a day and a half on the train.

“We bought an apartment here several years ago, so we come here every year. Before we used to come for a while and sometimes we went abroad. Now we come here every summer,” he says.

The war in Ukraine, now 18 months old, is making it difficult for many Russians to spend their holidays in their favorite places on the Black Sea. The Ukrainian region of Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 after a referendum, which the EU and US consider illegal and legally void, imposing sanctions.

Security in the region is a major factor for those wanting to travel there, especially after two major Ukrainian attacks since last October on the 19-kilometer-long Crimean bridge, which connects Russia to the peninsula by road and rail.

A risk that is worth it for some…

Viktor Motorin, after thinking about the situation, decided that it was a risk worth taking to enjoy his vacation.

“We judged that the trip would be quite safe, mainly because my colleagues had already come here in June, but also in early July. They said that everything was calm, without problems on the Crimean bridge. The products, the prices, everything is the same as before,” he said.

Since the time of the Tsars, Russians have loved Crimea’s lush landscape and rocky shores. But the raging war has made the situation very difficult.
The sanctions have grounded flights to the West and the weak ruble has increased the cost of travel to other popular destinations such as Turkey or Thailand.

Even an increase in tourism in the Black Sea

Alexei Volkov, president of the National Association of Tourist Accommodations, said in an interview that the number of tourists in Crimea is expected to decrease by 20-30% this year to between 6 and 6.5 million visitors.

But other Russian Black Sea resorts, which are less at risk from Russian attacks, saw increased demand. According to Alexei Volkov, hotel occupancy in Sochi reached 100%, while Novorossiysk recorded an increase of 6%.

Certainly, however, Crimea cannot be described as a safe destination. In mid-July, a couple was killed and their 14-year-old daughter injured when their car was hit while crossing the bridge.

Also, last week Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that its forces destroyed 42 drones launched by Ukraine over Crimea in a single day. Nevertheless, there are many who still prefer Crimea and want to take the risk.

In the meantime, the recent initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open, for the first time, a window of negotiation on the future of Crimea caused a sensation.
“I think it is possible, from a political point of view, to push for demilitarization of Russia on this territory,” Zelensky said.