Crimea Research Articles

«УЧРЕДИТЬ НА ЮЖНОМ БЕРЕГУ КРЫМСКОГО ПОЛУОСТРОВА В СЕЛЕНИИ ЯЛТАХ ТАМОЖЕННУЮ ЗАСТАВУ…»: К ИСТОРИИ СОЗДАНИЯ И ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ЯЛТИНСКОЙ ТАМОЖНИ И ЮЖНОГО ОТРЯДА ТАВРИЧЕСКОЙ БРИГАДЫ ПОГРАНИЧНОЙ СТРАЖИ

The article examines the history of the creation and activities of the Yalta customs outpost (later the Yalta customs), which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2024. Based on archival documents, some of which are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, as well as previously published statistical materials, collections of the customs department and other official publications of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Empire, the main stages of interaction between customs institutions, border and quarantine guard units operating in the Taurida province are determined in the 19th century. The work of these authorities in peacetime and the features of their functioning during the Crimean (Eastern) War of 1853–1856 and the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 had been analyzed. Measures aimed at optimizing the work of these units in difficult conditions of combat operations and occupation of the Crimean Peninsula by the enemy had been studied. The specifics and sources of formation of personnel of the Yalta customs outpost, units of the Taurida border guard brigade, and quarantine guard units stationed in the province had been identified. It is concluded that the organization of customs, quarantine and border services on the territory of the Taurida province, namely, on the southern coast of Crimea in the 19th century was well thought out and fully consistent with local specifics, since the peninsula was not only the center of external and internal trade operations in the Northern Black Sea region, but also the most important region in geopolitical and strategic terms. Russia, which has repeatedly faced the need to eliminate external threats while simultaneously increasing its economic potential, has taken the necessary steps to ensure the normalization of the activities of customs institutions in the region.

Variability of Morphological Characters of the Genus Alburnoides (Pisces, Leuciscidae) from Watercourses in Southern Russia

The variability of the morphological characters of the genus Alburnoides Jeitteles, 1861 from watercourses in the south of Russia (five rivers of the Crimean Peninsula and two rivers of the Krasnodar Territory) is considered. It has been established that in spirlins within the study areas, body sizes average from 60.1 ± 1.45 mm in individuals from the river Gostagayka (Krasnodar region) up to 88.2 ± 1.87 mm in fish from the river Angara (Crimean Peninsula). Using the Mann–Whitney test, statistically significant differences were registered between the samples in most plastic characters; they were absent in meristic characters. In the studied regions, heterogeneity in the structure of the genus Alburnoides was noted: according to the results of cluster analysis for the totality of all studied characters, the greatest similarity was found in samples from Crimean rivers that are geographically close to each other (rivers Chernaya, Belbek, Kacha and Alma), but group from the river Angara adjoins them at a higher level of divergence. A separate group is formed by samples from the rivers of the Krasnodar Territory. The obtained data are consistent with the literary information on the formation of the ichthyofauna in the rivers of Crimea; the established clear differences between the charaters from the rivers of southern Russia require a more detailed study.

Flash floods on the northern coast of the Black Sea: Formation and characteristics

Flash floods are one of the most dangerous hydrometeorological events in the world. The current study investigates flash floods on the northern Black Sea Coast. The data about stochastic and relatively stable factors of flash flood formation (such as hydrological, meteorological, lithological, geomorphological, and anthropogenic parameters) were collected for 22 events. The main trigger of flash floods is heavy rainfall of high intensity in the region but in some cases flash flood occurrence is connected with combinations of several “non-critical” factors. The small watershed area (≤ 351 km2) of river basins experiencing flash floodspromotes very rapid flow concentration. Analysis of extreme precipitation demonstrates significant increasing trends in river basins on the Crimean Peninsula and decreasing a maximum precipitation amount in 5 days (r5d) and 1 day (r1d) in river basins in the Caucasus Black Sea Coast in the 21st century as determined by processing of Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global precipitation measurement (IMEGR) satellite data. At the same time land network data indicates increasing r5d at the Anapa and r1d at the Tuapse meteorological stations in 1961–2020. More frequent occurrence of flash floods has been suggested in the area due to statistical analysis of the longest precipitation ranges. The main reason for significant social and economic damage is uncontrolled human activity in flooded areas on the northern Black Sea Coast.

Confirmation of the presence of Tipulia tipuliformis (Clerck, 1759) (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) in the Crimea

The presence of the pest species Tipulia tipuliformis (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) is confirmed in the Crimean Peninsula with the help of sex attractants in 10 localities.

Климатические и палеоклиматические факторы почвообразования на территории Крымского полуострова

The article provides data on the peculiarities of climate dynamics on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula during the Holocene. Taking into account paleoclimatic data is necessary to predict the direction of evolution of soils and soil cover of the peninsula. It is especially important to take into account the presence of relict properties of soils, taking into account the progressive anthropogenic interference in the processes of modern soil formation. Attention is focused on the need to take into account features unusual for zonal soils when developing Soil management strategies. After all, most often, for objective reasons, a changed or inherited trait disappears forever from the current natural environment and cannot be restored.

Сучасні глобальні проблеми етнонаціональної політики України: на прикладі правового регулювання статусу національних меншин

The article is devoted to the analysis of the problems of ethno-national policy in modern conditions of the development of statehood and points to the prospects of improving the legislation in the context of ensuring the proper legal status of national minorities. The article examines the main problems in the field of ethno-national policy of Ukraine and legal regulation of the status of national minorities. The author emphasizes the absence of a single strategy for the development of ethno-national relations, which leads to fragmented legislation. The implementation of a comprehensive normative act could determine the direction of the development of statehood and form the ideological basis for future normative acts regarding the status of national minorities, indigenous peoples, and other ethnic groups. It is also emphasized that the issues of national minorities were often ignored in national law, and the legislative framework regarding indigenous peoples and the protection of the status of national minorities was formed mainly as a reaction to external circumstances, such as the occupation of the Crimean peninsula. Gaps in legislation make it difficult to ensure the rights of national minorities, in particular, due to the lack of up-to-date statistical data, since the all-Ukrainian population census was conducted only once in 2001. The author draws attention to the low level of tolerance in Ukrainian society, which is demonstrated by a survey conducted in 2022–2024. Respondents often do not consider their actions illegal or discriminatory towards Roma, but do not wish to have themin their environment. This indicates a lack of education regarding national characteristics as a factor of discrimination and a lack of attention on the part of the state to issues of language moderation and protection of the rights of national minorities. The lack of an effective policy of integration of national minorities is another significant problem. The legislator often considers national minorities as a group of citizens of a different ethnic origin living in Ukraine traditionally, which is a wrong approach. In order to improve ethno-national politics, it is necessary to solve problems in related areas, such as education, political rights, participation in local selfgovernment and the fight against hate speech.

The Late Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic in Crimea (Ukraine)—A Review of the Neanderthal Refugium Hypothesis

The Crimean Peninsula contains numerous important Palaeolithic sites. It has been considered a potential Neanderthal refugium in Eurasia prior to their disappearance or assimilation, and subsequent replacement by Homo sapiens. This understanding is primarily drawn from lithic technological analysis and radiocarbon dating. However, recent developments in the latter suggest that many of the previously obtained radiocarbon dates from Crimean sites may be too young. The chronological sequence from the site of Kabazi II is a case in point, where differences between dates of bulk collagen and those of single amino acids range up to 10,000 radiocarbon years. These discrepancies are argued to arise from sample contamination and its lack of removal in bulk collagen dating. In this paper, we undertake a critical re-evaluation of results from seven Palaeolithic archaeological sites in the Crimean Peninsula: Kabazi II, Siuren I, Buran-Kaya III, Zaskalnaya V and Zaskalnaya VI, Kabazi V and Starosel’e. Our analysis of radiocarbon results from various sites supports the view that radiocarbon dates obtained so far tend to be too young, which has been indicated in the stratigraphy and lithic assemblages. By harnessing robust radiocarbon protocols in future chronometric work, such as the extraction of hydroxyproline, ninhydrin derivatisation or the purification of amino acids using XAD-2 resin, there is potential for constructing accurate chronologies. Furthermore, improved dating accuracy holds the promise of significant additional insights into the prehistoric sequence of the Crimean Peninsula and its potential role as a refugium for Neanderthals prior to their disappearance.

ТРИ САРМАТСКИХ ПОГРЕБАЛЬНЫХ КОМПЛЕКСА ИЗ СТЕПНОГО КРЫМА

The work analyzes three recently discovered burial monuments of the 1st century BC – mid (?) 1st century AD in the Steppe Crimea. Their distinctive features are the use of an older kurgan for burial, the predominant orientation of the deceased to the northern sector, the insignificant depth of the burial, the paucity of grave goods, etc. – typical for early Sarmatian burials of the Northern Black Sea region. Therefore, the complexes under consideration should be correlated specifically with this cultural group. It is important to emphasize that, although large-scale field research in recent years has covered a significant part of the steppe space of the Crimean Peninsula, passing through it in a wide strip from east to west, Sarmatian monuments have not been identified in most of this territory. The newly opened complexes are located on the Kerch Peninsula and near it, i.e. in those areas in which Sarmatian burials were previously known. This only confirms the conclusion already made about the location of Sarmatian burials in the Steppe Crimea only in a narrow strip along the northern and north-eastern borders of the region, along the coast of the Black Sea and Sivash. This location, apparently, marks the path of the ancient nomads from the Dnieper region – one of the main areas of their settlement – to the ancient centers of the Crimean Peninsula, in particular Panticapaeum, to carry out trade and other relationships.

Present and future distribution of the European pond turtle versus seven exotic freshwater turtles, with a focus on Eastern Europe

Freshwater turtles are often used as terrarium pets, especially juveniles of exotic species. At the adult stage they are often released by their owners into the wild despite their high invasion potential. In Europe these thermophilic potentially invasive alien species occupy the habitats of the native European pond turtle Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758), with new records from the wild being made specifically in Eastern Europe (Latvia and Ukraine) during recent decades. Assessing the potential of alien freshwater turtles to establish in new territories is of great concern for preventing invasion risks while preserving native biodiversity in the present context of climate change. We explored this issue by identifying the present and future (by 2050) suitable habitats of the European pond turtle and several potentially invasive alien species of freshwater turtle already settled in Europe, using a geographic information system (GIS) modelling approach based on datasets from CliMond for climate, Near-global environmental information (NGEI) for freshwater ecosystems (EarthEnv) and Maxent modelling using open-access databases, data from the literature and original field data. Modelling was performed for seven species of alien freshwater turtles occurring from the extreme northern to southern borders of the European range of E. orbicularis: the pond slider Trachemys scripta (Thunberg and Schoepff, 1792), the river cooter Pseudemys concinna (Le Conte, 1830), the Florida red-bellied cooter Pseudemys nelsoni (Carr, 1938), the false map turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica (Gray, 1831), the Chinese softshell turtle Pelodiscus sinensis (Wiegmann, 1835), the Caspian turtle Mauremys caspica (Gmelin, 1774) and the Balkan terrapin Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833). In Ukraine, the most Eastern limit of E. orbicularis distribution, were previously reported northern American originated T. scripta, M. rivulata, M. caspica, whereas in Latvia, Emys’ most northern limit, were additionally reported P. concinna, P. nelsoni, G. pseudogeographica and Asia originated P. sinensis. The resulting Species Distribution Models (SDM) were of excellent performance (AUC > 0.8). Of these alien species, the most potentially successful in terms of range expansion throughout Europe were T. scripta (34.3% of potential range expansion), G. pseudogeographica (24.1%), and M. caspica (8.9%) and M. rivulata (4.3%) mainly in Eastern Europe, especially in the south of Ukraine (Odesa, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia regions, and Crimean Peninsula). Correlation between the built SDMs for the native E. orbicularis and the invasive alien T. scripta was reliably high, confirming the highly likely competition between these two species in places they cooccur. Moreover, a Multiple Regression Analysis revealed that by 2050, in most of Europe (from the western countries to Ukraine), the territory overlap between E. orbicularis and potentially invasive alien species of freshwater turtles will increase by 1.2 times, confirming higher competition in the future. Importantly, by 2050, Eastern Europe and Ukraine are predicted to be the areas with most suitable habitats for the European pond turtle yet with most limited overlap with the invasive alien species. We conclude that Eastern Europe and Ukraine are the most relevant priority conservation areas for the European pond turtle where it is now necessary to take protective measures to ensure safe habitat for this native species on the long-term.

Distribution and Genesis of Aliphatic Hydrocarbons in Bottom Sediments of Coastal Water Areas of the Crimea (the Black and Azov Seas)

The aim of the article is to assess the level of aliphatic hydrocarbon (AHC) contamination in bottom sediments of the Azov–Black Sea coast of the Crimea, as well as to identify potential sources of its formation. Bottom sediment samples obtained from 19 stations during the research cruise of the R/V “Professor Vodyanitsky” (June 2020) were used as the material for this investigation. Sampling stations were located along the coast of the Crimean Peninsula and the Caucasus coastlines (the Black and Azov Seas). N-hexane extracts of sediments were studied by gas chromatography to determine the AHC amount and composition. It was established that AHC concentrations in the study area varied from 1.30 to 127.8 mg/100 g. Generally, bottom sediments of the Black and Azov Seas were characterized by low AHC contents, while increased AHC contents were found in the outer harbor of Sevastopol and Yalta regions. To identify potential hydrocarbon sources, various hydrocarbon markers were used. In most of the study areas, n-alkane composition was determined by similar sources of inputs and organic compound transformation. At the same time, oil pollution linked with use of fuel was recorded almost everywhere.

The resilience of an injured Early Pleistocene Lynx from Taurida сave (Crimea)

ABSTRACT The present work describes for a first time a fused fracture of the metacarpals of the medium-sized felid, Lynx issiodorensis, the putative ancestor of all Eurasian extant lynx species. The studied remains, four metacarpals from the same individual, were unearthed from the Early Pleistocene of the Taurida cave (Crimean Peninsula) and studied through computed tomography. These remains exhibit pronounced signs of osteopathology, namely, fracture with displacement of the fifth metacarpal bone fused with the formation of callus and deformation of the bone itself. The pathological process is spread to adjacent metacarpal bones. The likely cause of the injury could be an unsuccessful hunt or an awkward landing from a height. After the injury and in the process of healing the fracture, the studied individual survived with clearly limited hunting abilities.

First Report and Molecular Characterization of Umbra-like Virus on Ficus carica Caprifig Trees in Crimea.

Fig mosaic is the most serious viral disease affecting figs. A fig germplasm collection from the Nikita Botanical Garden on the Crimean Peninsula was surveyed for viruses using high-throughput sequencing and RT-PCR with primers specific to known fig viruses. Reads related to fig umbra-like virus (FULV) were generated in samples from Ficus carica caprifig (pollinator) trees of the cultivar Belle dure. F. carica trees of other cultivars, as well as F. afghanistanica, F. palmata, and F. virgata trees, tested negative for FULV. Near-complete genomes of five Crimean fig umbra-like virus (FULV-CR) isolates shared 99.4% to 99.9% identity and were most closely related (85.2% identity) to the Hawaiian FULV isolate Oahu1 (MW480892). Based on their genome structure and a phylogenetic analysis, the FULV-CR isolates were determined to be dicot-infecting Class 2 umbra-like viruses and seem to be highly divergent forms of the same virus found recently in Hawaii, USA. This is the first report of an umbra-like virus found on figs in Crimea and outside of Hawaii, expanding information on the geographical distribution and genetic diversity of FULV. All of the Crimean FULV-positive plants were also co-infected with fig mosaic virus, fig badnavirus 1, and grapevine badna FI virus.

Title over the territory in establishing the jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the case of Ukraine v. russia

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the violations of Ukraine's sovereign rights in the maritime areas adjacent to the occupied Crimean Peninsula by the russian federation since 2014. The author examines the legal mechanisms that Ukraine employs to protect its interests within the framework of international law, particularly through appeals to international judicial and arbitral bodies in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Special attention is given to the arbitration proceedings initiated by Ukraine in 2016 against the russian federation, aimed at recognizing the violations by russia related to the unlawful exploitation of natural resources on the continental shelf and within the exclusive economic zone, as well as the usurpation of fishing rights and the transit of Ukrainian vessels through the Kerch Strait. The article thoroughly examines Ukraine's arguments and the position of the russian federation, particularly regarding the jurisdiction of the arbitration. The main issue raised in the article is the refusal of the arbitration to recognize its jurisdiction over the dispute due to the question of Ukraine's sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula, which significantly complicates holding russia accountable. The practices of the arbitration and the maritime tribunal are analyzed to understand potential avenues for resolving the dispute. This article contributes to the understanding of complex legal issues arising in the context of contemporary international conflicts and offers a critical review of existing legal mechanisms for the protection of sovereign rights of states in maritime areas, using the Ukraine vs. russia case as an example.

Modern Methods and Technical Instruments of Ecological Monitoring of the Estuaries of Small Rivers

At present, river estuaries are constantly being explored; therefore, it is necessary to receive up-todate information on their actual environmental condition, hydrological regime, and geographical features. Therefore, it is important to develop and improve the methods and technical instruments for monitoring river estuaries. The article presents a developed methodology for integrated research of small-river estuaries using new methods and techniques. The article discusses the experience in using modern domestic devices for solving practical problems of integrated water-environmental monitoring with a case study of expeditionary work in estuaries of the Chernaya River (Crimean Peninsula, Sevastopol). The possibilities of the following technical instruments used are described: The GAP-AK-12R CTD (MHI RAS), the Condor biophysical complex (Aquastandard), and the Garmin echo sounder, which make it possible to obtain field data on turbidity, the concentration of suspended particulate matter, speed and direction of currents, the average size of suspended particles, and salinity and temperature of the aquatic environment. The results of applying a new method for determining the flow velocity and water consumption based on video image processing are presented. Application of the developed methodology makes it possible to obtain the information necessary to analyze the hydrological regime and ecological state of small-river estuaries.

A Pleistocene Amphibian Assemblage of the Taurida Cave, Crimea

Six amphibian taxa are described within the Pleistocene vertebrate assemblage of the Taurida cave (Crimean Peninsula): Lissotriton sp., Strauchbufo raddei, Bufotes viridis, Rana cf. macrocnemis, Pelophylax ridibundus, and Pelophylax sp. The possible presence of second species of the genus Rana is suggested. Three of described species do not occur on the Crimean Peninsula currently, but apparently inhabited it during the Early Pleistocene. The ranid frogs in Crimea were taxonomically more divers in the Pleistocene than today. Strauchbufo raddei and Bufotes viridis come from different periods of sediment accumulation of the Taurida cave, during the Early Pleistocene and the late Middle Pleistocene, respectively. The presence of the Mongolian toad, Strauchbufo raddei, not previously reported from Crimea, confirms a wide distribution of this species during the Early Pleistocene of Eastern Europe. The Taurida cave represents the first Pleistocene amphibian assemblage of Crimea.

Results of Epizootiological Survey of the Territories of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol in 2015–2022

Introduction: Systematic studies of endemic zoonotic diseases on the Crimean Peninsula resumed in 2015 after a long break. Objective: To specify boundaries and determine epizootiological activity of the natural foci of infectious diseases in the Crimea and to update the list of possible reservoir hosts and vectors based on the results of field studies conducted in 2015–2022. Materials and methods: Counting and trapping of small mammals, ixodid ticks and mosquitoes, collecting of pellets of birds of prey, sampling of water and other zoological and entomological materials were carried out in the Crimea in the years 2015 to 2022. Results and discussion: According to the results of epidemiological and epizootiological monitoring of the Crimean Peninsula, the samples tested positive for tularemia were collected on the territory of 14 administrative entities, leptospirosis – 21, hantaviruses – 12, tick-borne encephalitis – 2, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever – 7, Lyme borreliosis – 21, West Nile fever – 3, Q fever – 2, Marseilles fever – 6, monocytic ehrlichiosis – 1, and granulocytic anaplasmosis – 8 entities. A new hantavirus was identified in the Leninsky district. Positive findings of markers of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus were registered not only in the main vector, but also in other species of ixodid ticks. True boundaries of the natural foci of Lyme borreliosis in the Crimea were much wider and ran through both forest and steppe zones. A stable reproducing population of epidemiologically significant Ae. albopictus mosquitoes was found on the southern coast of Crimea. Conclusions: Based on the findings, we specified the boundaries and confirmed the activity of natural foci of infectious diseases during the study period, updated sources of infections, reservoir hosts and vectors, and compiled the “List of enzootic (endemic) territories of the Crimea, on which circulation of infectious agents common to humans and animals was found based on the results of field material studies in 2015–2022,” all facilitating managerial decisions on prevention of natural focal infections.

FORCED DEPORTATION OF PEOPLES TO KAZAKHSTAN

The totalitarian system that dominated during the Soviet period forcibly displaced manynationalities and ethnic groups from their historical homeland, causing great damage to their unity andintegrity, cultural and social development, pursuing a policy of ideological arbitrariness (dictatorship).Soviet leaders forcibly deported to the territory of Central Asia, accusing the Crimean people of activecooperation with the German invaders in order to strengthen the central political power. The CrimeanPeninsula was the main tourist center of the USSR and one of the regions of high political importance.This scientific article, written on this basis, presents historical data on the state of the population onthe Crimean Peninsula before the deportation, on the change of names of cities in Crimea, on how theprocess of forced displacement was carried out, based on archival data. The detrimental consequencesof the forced displacement of peoples to the territory of Kazakhstan and the impact on the nationalcomposition of the Kazakh people are analyzed. In the second half of the 20th century, attempts bythe peoples of Crimea to return to their homeland, the socio-economic situation of the population afterresettlement to the territory of Kazakhstan, and their contribution to the modern development of Kazakhstanisociety were considered.During the actual study of the article, archival data were used. Historical scientific methods of analysisand synthesis of scientific data, historical and comparative analysis, classification, systematization,etc. were also used.

Species of the genus Phragmidium (Pucciniales) as parasites of roses (Rosa, Rosaceae) in Ukraine

Four species of the genus Phragmidium parasitizing plants of the genus Rosa (Rosaceae) are recorded in Ukraine. Phragmidium fusiforme occurs only in the Carpathians. Phragmidium rosae-pimpinellifoliae was reported only from the Crimean Peninsula. Phragmidium mucronatum and P. tuberculatum are distributed much more widely and occur in Ukraine much more frequently. A reliable feature for distinguishing these two species is a character of the upper cell and papilla of teliospores: in P. mucronatum it attenuates gradually toward the apex to form a papilla, while in P. tuberculatum the papilla is clearly delimited from the rounded apex of the upper cell of the teliospore. An interesting feature of all three species illustrated in this article but not reported previously in mycological literature is a twisting of the upper part of the pedicel of their teliospores. The article is illustrated with photomicrographs obtained using a scanning electron microscope.

Cliff dynamics in western Crimea

The paper considers the long-term dynamics of clayey cliffs of the Western Crimea in view of the problem of further recreational development of the Crimean Peninsula. Open-source satellite imagery and long-term (over 40 years) cliff section measurements were analyzed. The paper provides data on the geomorphology of individual coastal sites. It is shown that landslides are the main mechanism causing the cliff retreat on the larger part of the coastline. Slumps are typical for the southern part of the region and their movement episodes are relatively rare. Landslides become more active during the winter — spring period, when the moisture content of clayey cliff rocks increases substantially and the abrasion intensifies. Landslides can also be triggered by short-term heavy precipitation, which is usually observed in the summer. There is no definite relationship between the amount of annual precipitation, storm activity and landslide activity, either synchronous or with a time lag. No regularity in landslide dynamics was identified. It was found that the average long-term rates of cliff edge retreat are 0.1–1.2 m/year. In the northern part of the coast, the rates are the highest, decreasing towards the southern part of the region. The obtained average annual rates of cliff edge retreat are significantly less than those previously reported in the literature. There is a decrease in the beach-forming sediment supply due to a reduction in the stretch of the cliffs. Out of 50 km coastline with cliffs, only 39 km are left in the study area due to being covered by various structures and terracing. The paper also discusses anthropogenic activity, which leads to the formation and movement of man-made landslides and an increase in natural landslide activity. It is shown that the construction of transverse beach-retaining structures leads to blocking of littoral sediment transport, and to increase in the cliff retreat rate outside the protected reach.

Malacofauna of Crimea as a possible source of introductions to other regions of Ukraine: land snails of non-Crimean origin

Background. Due to global climate changes, a number of land mollusc species, previously known only from southern Ukraine or only from Crimea, are increasingly being recorded in different parts of the country. Apparently, not only species of the Crimean origin but also some other molluscs, native or alien to the Crimean Peninsula, could have been introduced from Crimea in different time periods. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to generalise and give a critical analysis of data on the present distribution in Ukraine outside Crimea for 8 such species, whose primary source of dispersal could be, at least partially, the Crimean Peninsula. Materials and Methods. We used the results of our own long-term (from 1994 to 2023) research of the land mollusc fauna in different parts of Ukraine, examined collections of other researchers and amateurs, numerous stock materials of the State Museum of Natural History in Lviv, analysed a number of literature sources from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, as well as reports from two citizen science databases (iNaturalist and UkrBIN). Results and Discussion. We have sequentially analysed the available data about the present distribution and chronology of discovery in different administrative regions of Ukraine outside Crimea for Cecilioides raddei, Phenacolimax annularis, Oxychilus deilus, Xeropicta derbentina, X. krynickii, Monacha cartusiana, Eobania vermiculata, as well as Helix lucorum with the shell colouration characteristic of the mountainous Crimea. It has been established that one or more species have now been reliably recorded in all parts and almost all administrative regions of Ukraine, with the exception of Sumy and Kirovohrad ones. Conclusion. The conducted analysis confirms the potential influence of Crimea on the formation of the present species composition of alien land molluscs not only in the south, but also in other parts of Ukraine. Most of the analyzed species are so far known only from those administrative regions that border the Black and Azov Seas. Two species, X. derbentina and M. cartusiana, are now rather widespread in Ukraine, but most of their known records were made no earlier than 1990s. The data systematized in this study can become the basis for monitoring the further spread of the species under study into different parts of Ukraine, which may become especially relevant in the post-war period.