A collective letter of complaint from employees of a Simferopol hospital to the Russian Healthcare Supervision Service reveals details about the cholera epidemic in Crimea, which probably began in mid-June 2024, almost two months ago.
This was established by hackers from the Cyber Resistance group gaining access to data from the email account of the department for the supply of medicines by the so-called “Ministry of Health of Crimea” of the ROA.
Access to and administration of the described mailbox at [email protected] is carried out by Kristina S. Tatsyuk (Kristina Tatsyuk). She is a collaborator who voluntarily cooperated with the occupation administrations of the TOT of Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia region. All personal data obtained about her was transferred to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
The letter, which was sent to the department of drug supply, contains requirements to check and provide documents regarding the lack of provision of drugs and personal protective equipment for hospital staff during the “epidemic spread of cholera, starting from June 2024 to the present.” Roszdravnadzor, a special organization that oversees the healthcare system in Russia, is required to conduct the inspection and provide a report.
The epidemic affected hospital staff in Crimea, who were completely unprepared for it. In particular, the letter asks to clarify whether the staff had been ordered to attend advanced training courses “on the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs, which stands for healthcare-associated infections in Russian).” They also asked why there was not enough personal protective equipment.
The letter states that Simferopol City Hospital No. 7 was the main place for receiving patients with cholera. However, two cities are also mentioned: Dzhankoy and Feodosia. The former is located in the north of the peninsula, the latter in the east, near Kerch.
It should be noted that in early July, Russian media reported that beaches in Feodosia were closed due to a sewage collector breakdown and sewage discharge into the sea.
We would also like to remind you that in May of this year, the head of the “Ministry of Health of Crimea,” Konstantin Skorupsky, resigned. For two months, the “ministry” was headed by acting Olga Rastrigina, but it seems that she did not meet the expectations of the occupiers. In early July, the head of the ROA of the TOT of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, appointed Alexei Natarov as the new “minister,” but judging by the complaints, this did not improve the situation either.
In June and July, the mention of cholera increased significantly in Russian propaganda materials. In particular, materials on “how to protect yourself from cholera in Crimea” were published on the website of the main mouthpiece of state propaganda, Ria Novosti.
However, not a single settlement was officially declared an epidemic disaster area.
At the same time, Russian telegram channels reported on typhoid and cholera spreading among the Russian military in southern Ukraine. On June 27, the Russian military channel “Two Majors” wrote about it.
It should be noted that the last time a severe outbreak of cholera was recorded in Crimea was in 1994. The National Emergency Center continues to monitor the situation and, in particular, is working to establish the number of cases and deaths during the epidemic. At the same time, we remind all residents of the occupied territories of the official rules of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for the prevention of cholera:
- Do not buy food, including fish, from spontaneous trade;
- Do not swim or fish in contaminated water bodies;
- maintain personal hygiene, wash your hands thoroughly before eating or preparing food, and after using the toilet;
- use clean water;
- Wash vegetables and fruits before eating;
- cook food thoroughly, boil or fry food before eating it.
