Ukraine war: Atesh, the group spying on Russians in occupied Crimea
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.
