Ukrainian drama on occupied lands. "Your brain would melt"

What Life Is Like Ukrainians in areas occupied by Russia? 3 years after the start of a full-scale invasion, 24 February 2022, lands under control Moscow, covering 20% of the country’s surface area, became dead zone.

Communication with people who stay there is hard and dangerous, so relationships are uncommon and fragmentary. Exile Mayors The occupied cities and families who have late escaped describe a closed, dysfunctional and terror-possessed planet in which everything Ukrainian is methodically destroyed and replaced by Russian counterparts.

Meanwhile Donald Trump intends to discuss with Vladimir Putin ‘distribution of certain assets’ between Kiev and Moscow, including ‘grounds’ and ‘energy plants’.

Ukrainians who have remained on the another side of the front line feel more than always that they may stay suspended.

War in Ukraine. Drama of Ukrainians in occupied territories

Millions Ukrainian citizens they inactive live in occupied parts Zaporo, Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk circuits. Although 30 September 2022. Russia announced their annexation, controls only 70% of their full area – and annexed in 2014. Crimea.

The Kiev authorities and Ukrainian organizations secretly effort to keep in contact with them and assist them.

– We fold pieces of the puzzle to realize what is happening there – explains Peter AndriuschenkoFormer Deputy Mayor Mariupola and manager Centre for business investigation In Days. Even for him, collecting this information is not without risk.

– I get threats. The Russians do not want these stories to see the light of day," he says.

As he claims, in 3 years of war regions that Kremlin I want to integrate with RussiaThey've already undergone a profound transformation.

– Everything's changed. Today, these are dead areas where there is no work – apart from construction – no infrastructure, social services, medicinesAnd people live under constant force from the side Russia. Even the colours and smells are different, due to the fact that erstwhile all our products were akin to European models. present these are Russian products, inherited from russian times – emphasizes Piotr Andriuszchenko.

Life under the Russian flag. Shocking Escape Relations

Sometimes you gotta wait 2 or even 3 hours for bus, garbage is not taken, elevators are broken, and destroyed by bombardment pipes frequently stay unrepaired. The population itself has besides changed.

– present in Mariupol all another individual has nothing to do with the city, says mer in exile The defect of Boychenko. The occupiers open the gates for Russian citizensto replace their population.

The fresh arrivals have accelerated the departure Niki and Vasylaaged 66 and 71, respectively.

– They told us: “We will shortly set free Odessa, everything will be ours” – the pensioner from Mariupola confides, and now a exile in Kiev with his wife.

– We have nothing to do with these people. Putin He brainwashed them, he admits.

The 2 Ukrainians who, for safety reasons, spoke under changed names witnessed changes in Mariupol from the beginning of the invasion. They experienced everything: continuous bombing, 86-day bloody siege, then reconstruction, forced RussiaAnd erasure of war crimes.

– erstwhile the bombings stopped, everything was destroyed," recalls Nika, a blonde with pink hair, in a pink sweater. – There was no water, no electricity, no food, no gas, no civilization. erstwhile I went out on the street, there were bodies everywhere. Everything was black and dusty – he describes.

They survived Mariupola's siege. Now they're going back.

A matrimony that lived for a long time in Mariupolto take care of a disabled friend, it was only possible to escape with her in November 2024. They then made a long journey through Donetsk, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Ukraine – it was the only way to escape. Though for 4 months all 3 have lived in KievNika and Vasil are going to go to Mariupola in June to settle any administrative matters there.

They besides want to make certain that in their absence apartment will not be transmitted Russians. Reports show that Russian visitors Expropriation Those who escaped due to the fact that There are no houses in town. One in 2 was destroyed, many others were damaged.

– Of the 67,000 destroyed houses, only 3,000 were rebuilt – he says The defect of Boychenkowho was resettled to Kiev.

The Russians rebuilt Mariupol on ruins and corpses. According to the mayor, at least 22,000 people were killed during the siege. After the announcement of the “liberation” of the cities, Russian forces brought excavators and “they took out debris with bodies that were treated like average waste,” says Mer, revealing that Russians utilized for this task Ukrainian prisoners of war from the Azov Regiment.

“Today, the Russians hide their war crimes, rebuilding the city as if nothing had happened,” the authoritative emphasized, lamenting the fact that “three years later UN inactive did not consider the Mariupolski tragedy a war crime."

That's what Russians do on occupied lands. "Passport allows to survive"

In all occupied territories Moscow continues forced policy rasification. Holding Russian passport is essential to access services specified as housing, wellness care, water and even food aid. Ukrainian authorities estimation that more than 80% of citizens have it. “This is the only way for them to survive,” emphasizes the mayor Mariupola.

There's patrols on the streets. identity civilians, and those with pro-Ukrainian views are being hunted. In the Kherson region Cachets In the summertime of 2022, 38-year-olds were arrested Mouse.

– The Russians have lists of people who consider themselves a threat. They told me that they would put me in the torture area and shoot me in the leg – says erstwhile farm company safety guard.

In that case, the Russians let him go. At that time, Mikhaylovich limited the movement as much as possible. My parent and I waited a long time for liberation. After failure Ukrainian counteroffensive We're ready to leave. It took us a year – he recalls. They presently live in Volyn circuit in the northwest Ukraine.

Others were not so lucky. According to Kiev, thousands Ukrainian civilians has been kidnapped and murdered, and many others endure from inhuman torture in prisons.

– In the occupied areas, all detention facilities have torture rooms," he says Ivan Fyodorov, Governor the dam circuit. Unfortunately, civilians detained – unlike POWs – there is no mechanics to exchange them.

It's better not to talk honestly to neighbors.

Deputy Mayor EnerhodaruIwan Samojdiuk, who was arrested and imprisoned in March 2022 while delivering food aid, is 1 of the fewer who have been listed. By Occupancy survey Centre As of February 2022, only "five to 10 civilians" were listed.

A white-beard man was kidnapped first and then tortured by Russians in Melitopol. He was then transported to the garage in Dnipropetrovsk, in the dam circuit.

– The Russians like to hit the same place in their legs so people can't walk. Torture was so cruel that in front of my eyes 2 people aged 46 and 32 died – he recalls. Mayor of the Daytime Evhieni Matveev He was besides tortured to death. His body was returned in December 2024.

According to observers, repression is much stronger in areas captured in 2022, where Moscow She was going to suppress any resistance.

– Russians throw grenades at homes to terrorize people," he says Olena Gubanova, manager of the Organisation Helping to Leavethat helps Ukrainians leave occupied territories. “And if the children proceed to survey in Ukrainian online schools, the household will be punished,” she notes.

Those who initially dared to complain about the mediocre state of the services created by the occupiers were silent after visiting police station. Silence became the rule.

– The neighbors told me if I kept saying that Russians They're there illegally, they're coming and they're going to debunk me. Since then, we've only shared 1 household friend. With others, we simply exchange pleasantries, as Nika recalls.

Rusification and propaganda. "As if they were brainwashed"

On occupied territories valid now Moscow time and parallel reality in which on all corner of the street the Russian “heroes” and “liberation” are praised. They are all present Russian flags, between which sometimes the russian ones besides fly. – Propaganda It's so powerful that outsiders would melt their brains," says retired Nika.

For respective months there have been calls for mobilization.

– They're everywhere: at the bus station and at the market. It accelerated our departure, I was afraid mobilization. It would be terrible to fight against Ukraine. Officially, the Russians say they'll never do it, but they already did it in Luganese and Done – says Mikhaylo.

According to Fyodorov, the “hundreds” of Ukrainians were incorporated into the Russian army. any of them were captured by the Kiev army. They are presently in Ukrainian prisons and are charged with collaboration.

Despite the repression and various difficulties in fresh months, occupied territories thousands returned Ukrainianswho have failed to rebuild their lives elsewhere or who have not received adequate assistance from the Ukrainian authorities. The returnees, however, are not necessarily welcome.

– W Mariupol Russians execute DNA tests. If they announcement yours family tree It's completely Ukrainian, they won't let you in. They besides banned Grandma's return due to the fact that her grandson serves in Ukrainian Army. They come up with all kinds of excuses to prevent return, due to the fact that they want to close the city – explains Vada Boychenko.

Over time, Ukrainians in occupied territories begin to realize that they were trapped.

Article translated from ‘Le Monde’. Written by Faustine Vincent

== sync, corrected by elderman ==

The title, lead, midtitle and abbreviations come from the editorial

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