Emergency Regime in Russian-Occupied Crimea Due to Frosts and Drought

The Russian-occupied authorities in Crimea plan to declare a state of emergency due to the devastating impact of spring frosts and prolonged drought on the region’s agricultural harvest. Denis Kratiuk, the so-called “Minister of Agriculture” of Crimea, announced during a live broadcast that two climatic factors—early spring frosts and severe soil drought—have caused significant crop losses. Data collection from the Hydrometeorological Center is ongoing, with district commissions assessing the damage, but it is already clear that the agricultural sector is in a critical state.

Anomalous weather has worsened the crisis in Crimea: temperatures soared to +28°C in March, only to plummet to -4°C to -9°C in April, coinciding with the formation of buds and blossoms in fruit crops and vineyards. A severe lack of precipitation during autumn, winter, and spring has reduced soil moisture to critical levels—below 20 mm. According to the occupation authorities, frosts have damaged 3,200 hectares of orchards, including 1,300 hectares of apple trees, and 3,000 hectares of vineyards. The grape harvest is expected to drop by 15-18%, and open-field vegetables by about 18% compared to last year.

Grain crops have also suffered heavily, with over 28,000 hectares of the 540,000-hectare sown area projected to experience significant yield losses or complete crop failure. The occupation administration claims the emergency regime is necessary to provide financial support to farmers and restructure their loans and leasing payments. However, the situation in Crimea remains dire, as the combination of natural disasters and ineffective management by the occupying authorities only deepens the plight of local farmers, leaving them without adequate support in this crisis.

Tags: crop condition, Crimea