Atesh, meaning fire in Crimean Tatar, says it collects data on Russian forces in occupied Ukraine.

Atesh says it collects information on Russian military movements - mostly in Crimea but also in other occupied areas and even inside Russia itself.

Operatives say their information has aided high-profile Ukrainian strikes on Crimea, such as hits on a Russian landing ship and submarine - the Minsk and Rostov-on-Don - and an attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in September 2023.

Most recently, Atesh said it had carried out reconnaissance work this week after a Ukrainian strike on a possible radar station in Yevpatoria.

Military bloggers in Russia dismiss the network as an online invention of Ukrainian intelligence, designed to overstate levels of resistance.

Yet Russian media also report that Atesh is a terrorist organisation, banned by the Kremlin.

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  • AutoTL;DRBEnglish
    3•10 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Operatives say their information has aided high-profile Ukrainian strikes on Crimea, such as hits on a Russian landing ship and submarine - the Minsk and Rostov-on-Don - and an attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in September 2023.

    Through messaging apps and a handler for the group, the BBC has spoken with five men who say they’re active agents for Atesh - including one who says he currently works for Russia’s military.

    The peninsula is of high strategic importance as it is essentially an “unsinkable aircraft carrier”, says retired Ukrainian Navy Captain Andriy Ryzhenko.

    It has forced Ukraine to create a new sea route for grain ships to steer clear of the peninsula, after Russia pulled out of a deal to allow shipments.

    An “oath” posted on the Telegram messaging app in September 2022 said, “I swear by my blood and my soul” to be faithful to the Atesh movement and “fight for the Ukrainian state”.

    There are reported to be strong links to the peninsula’s Turkic-speaking Crimean Tatar population - although representatives of that community who the BBC spoke to said they did not start Atesh.

    The original article contains 1,350 words, the summary contains 190 words. Saved 86%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!