Russian tourists have canceled their summer vacations in occupied Crimea en masse due to concerns over the “difficult security situation,” Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR) reported on July 19.

In a post on Telegram, HUR claimed that 80% of trips to Sevastopol had been canceled, while this percentage was more than a third across the peninsula.

“The mass refusal of Russians to go on vacation to Crimea was prompted by the unreliable and deadly work of the invaders’ air defense system,” HUR said.

Russia has a number of military bases in Crimea, most notably in Sevastopol, home to the Kremlin’s Black Sea Fleet. However, successful Ukrainian attacks forced Moscow to withdraw much of its naval forces from the peninsula earlier this month.

Although there are often active military bases nearby, some Russian tourists continue to spend their holidays in the Black Sea resorts.

Last month, three people were reportedly killed when Russian anti-aircraft fire intercepted Ukrainian missiles over the peninsula.

While HUR’s claims about cancellation rates could not be verified, previous news reports paint a picture of the serious problems in Crimea’s tourism industry.

In May it was reported that local spas were offering discounts of up to 40% in a bid to attract tourists to the peninsula.

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