Russia will organize a “cleansing” in the ranks of Kremlin-controlled authorities of the Crimean peninsula. Local officials will be replaced by more obedient managers from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities, as reported on the Daytime Show on Radio Krym.Realii on September 7 by the Ukrainian military journalist from the Crimea, the coordinator of the “Stop corruption” NGO, Roman Bochkala.

According to Bochkala, he observed this trend in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where local authorities were chosen with the participation of Russia.

"There were several purges there. This is the technology. Putin will appoint his people in the Crimea, "Varangians" [refers to Vikings, who ruled the medieval state of Kievan Rus between the 9th and 11th centuries] from Moscow, St. Petersburg. Crimeans will be replaced by those more controlled, more obedient and more predictable... There will be a change of elites, and local, Crimean ruler sell-outs will be simply pushed into the background. Some of them will be put in jail so that the rest become more obedient. We have already seen all of this during the previous Russian occupation," Bochkala said.

He added that Crimean officials who cooperated with Russia during the annexation of the Crimea should not think that they "received a certain indulgence." "They will be rid of them soon," Bochkala said.

A series of high-profile resignations took place in the ranks of Kremlin-controlled Crimean authorities in late August and early September. Heads of Feodosia and of three districts of the Crimea, Dzhankoysky, Kirovsky and Krasnogvardeysky lost their posts. The Russian head of Simferopol later resigned, the same day two of his deputies resigned as well.

Crimeans frequently complain about corruption among the local authorities. The complaints are especially caused by land issues, sea coast development, and the spending of funds allocated for housing and communal services and road repairs.

  Crimea, Russia, Crimea officials

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