**Dutch Parliament Recognizes 1944 Deportation of Crimean Tatars as Genocide**
In a historic move, the Dutch parliament has officially recognized the 1944 mass deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union as genocide. This decision comes after years of efforts by human rights activists and Crimean Tatar organizations to have their suffering acknowledged.
The motion adopted by the Dutch lawmakers cites precedent from other countries that have already recognized the forced deportations as genocide, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine. The document points out that over 190,000 Crimean Tatars were forcibly removed from Crimea in a matter of days, with some estimates placing the number closer to 430,000.
The Soviet-led deportation was carried out under direct orders from Joseph Stalin, who labeled the entire Crimean Tatar population as traitors following the peninsula’s liberation from Nazi occupation. The brutal conditions under which the deportees were sent to remote areas in Central Asia led to mass deaths.
**A Step Towards Justice**
This decision by the Dutch parliament is a significant step towards justice for the Crimean Tatar people, who have been facing ongoing repression under Russian occupation since 2014. Many Crimean Tatars have been unjustly imprisoned, subjected to torture, or forcibly disappeared.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the decision, calling it “a powerful gesture of solidarity with the Crimean Tatar people.” He urged other nations to follow suit in recognizing this historical injustice, saying that “recognizing this historical injustice is critical not only for establishing truth and justice but also for preventing future atrocities.”
**Other Developments**
In other news, Ukrainian air defenses shot down 34 Russian drones overnight, while 36 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare. The Russian forces launched 86 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine.
Russian forces also struck residential buildings in Odesa overnight, killing a civilian and injuring at least 14 others, including three emergency workers. The number of casualties inflicted on Ukrainian civilians by Russian forces is staggering, with over 1,090 reported just over the past day.
**European Commission Proposes Mobile Roaming Area**
The European Commission has proposed that Ukraine join the European Union’s mobile roaming area starting January 1, 2026. This would provide Ukrainian users with the ability to make phone calls, texts, and use mobile data in the bloc’s 27 countries at no extra charge.
**Other News**
At least 28 people have been killed and 134 others injured after a mass Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight on June 17. President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for deep strikes against Russia, saying “Russia must continue to suffer entirely justified losses due to its aggression.”
A US artist and volunteer was killed in the Russian attack on Kyiv, making him the first U.S. civilian to be killed by a Russian strike on Ukraine.
**Read More**
For more information on this story and other developments, please visit [kyivindependent.com](http://kyivindependent.com).
