The paper examines the situation of preserving the identity of Ukraine's indigenous Muslim minority - the Crimean Tatars - under the conditions of occupation and full-scale war. It focuses on the preservation of the native language and religious traditions and employs a comparative approach to demonstrate the challenges faced by Crimean Tatars both in the occupied territory of Crimea and on mainland Ukraine. The study is based on the results of interviews conducted by the author in the summer of 2024, as well as an analysis of Crimean Tatar groups on the social media platforms Facebook and YouTube. It argues that in both social contexts - Crimea and mainland Ukraine - Crimean Tatars face different identity-related challenges shaped both by differing state approaches toward this indigenous minority and by living conditions. Russian policies of depoliticization and marginalization of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea have led to a reduction in the spheres of use of the native language and the encouragement of only officially permitted forms of religious practice. Dispersed settlement across mainland Ukraine and wartime conditions create their own difficulties for preserving the native language and religious traditions, influencing transformations in Crimean Tatar identity and strengthening its civic component. Threats of identity loss have prompted a rethinking of victimhood narratives and the concept of "agency" among Crimean Tatars in both Crimea and mainland Ukraine, with distinctive features shaped by the socio-political context in which they live.