I haven’t written as much about Mariupol lately because honestly? I can’t talk or write about it without crying and feeling completely broken. But the defenders of Mariupol don’t give up, and the least I can do is continue to talk about them, even in such a small and insignificant platform like this blog.
Almost four weeks ago, the occupiers forcibly removed all men from the Guglino, Myrnyi, and Volonterivka districts. About two thousand people were placed in the Bezimenne and Kozatske villages in the buildings of school and club. They are forced to sleep on the floor, they live in unsanitary conditions with one sink with cold water per thousand people. The first cases of tuberculosis have already been recorded there. The number of people is checked twice a day, the russians threaten to worsen the tortures if someone is missing.
All people, including the sick and people with disabilities are involved in landscaping work in the village Bezymyane and Novoazovsk under the escort of the russian military. As for the future, the occupiers emphasize that they have not yet decided whether to use people for free labor to dismantle the debris of Mariupol or to conscript men into the russian army.
Civilian men are threatened with being forced to attend a parade in Mariupol on May 9 pretending to be the “prisoners of war”. The russians had once held such a parade in occupied Donetsk, forcing prisoners of war and detained civilians to march down the main street while the crowd threw garbage at them.
They probably want to do something similar in Mariupol, which is why now they are actively dismantling the wreckage of the main streets of Mariupol (mostly by civilians who are forced to do this), because they are going to hold a “victory parade” on russia’s “victory day” on May 9. So the streets have to look good for their tv propaganda.
Although now because these plans have been made public by Ukraine, Russia backs down on this and claims that this isn’t going to happen. That’s why it is so important to uncover and make as public as possible all their criminal plans so they can’t go through with it.
Recently, they changed the sign with the name of the city from Ukrainian to Russian language, and broadcasted it on all propaganda platforms. Thisis their main goal, always was, to destroy everything and everyone Ukrainian.
That’s what they always do in the first place - they erase everything Ukrainian in the most demonstrative way. Again, that’s what they did in Donetsk many years ago as soon as they seized it. They removed the letter ь that is present in Ukrainian name of Donetsk but not in Russian. (but this word is pronounced quite differently in two languages, although it is spelled similarly)
But do you know what this sign looks like now, after 8 years of russian occupation?
Russia brings with it only destruction, decay, poverty and suffering.
Now all civilians from Azovstal have been evacuated, but not thanks to the good will of the russians. Ukrainian defenders and volunteers helped people evacuate under constant shelling.
Not only Azov fighters are now blocked in Azovstal, but also soldiers from Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhia, marines, doctors and territorial defense fighters. Men from all over Ukraine, of different religions and ethnicities (Ukrainians, Georgians, Jews, Crimean Tatars and people with Turkish roots). They could all escape when the war had just begun, but they did not give up. Each of them is a true Ukrainian hero, and the whole country is devastated that we can’t get them out of there.
I can’t explain it to you well enough… I, like many other Ukrainians, follow these guys’ social networks. I can tell you with confidence that they are the nicest people there are. They go through hell every day…no one of us can imagine it. And yet they somehow retain their humanity, it is simply incredible.
These are the most heartbreaking events that are unfolding right before our eyes, and there’s nothing we can do about it. So many unjust sufferings.
This girl, a military doctor in Mariupol who recorded a video saying “we don’t want to be heroes posthumously” died. I remember watching this video in the first month of war and crying my eyes out. She was killed a while ago but I never posted about it because I cry every time I see her face. She has a little son who now lost both of his parents. Nobody saved them.
Now more than fifty wounded are in Azovstal, they are in unsanitary conditions. The russians bombed the only surgery room.
And when I go to twitter and other platforms and see all the disgusting russian lies… How they are able to twist and turn everything upside down, call the sky green and white black… I beg you, trust only Ukrainians on this topic (and only those Ukrainians who are not currently on the russian-controlled territory and are not being tortured, obviously). There’s so much more I want to say but I am bad at phrasing it.
What happened in Mariupol is a tragedy for all Ukrainians.For all Friends of Ukraine.Nighmare in real life. Defenders of Mariupol are heroes,who have to be saved.Mariupol was a beautiful city.Now it is the city of corps and mass graves.
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❤️"Before the war, my son loved to play, jump, laugh. And there he stopped smiling at all, stopped talking. His eyes fell, I thought he would not survive. Now he is better, but still sometimes he remembers something, comes up to me, hugs and cries. And I cry with him.“Miranda, mother of five-year-old Artur from Mariupol.
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Vitalij Taran and Alla Taran family who served in the "Azov"Battalion they died in Azovstal.Their child lost his parents.
L’ Azovstal di Mariupol viene liberata dai ratti nazisti che avevano tenuto in ostaggio civili per poi usarli come scudi umani.
Media, politici, attori, musicisti ecc adesso fanno il piagnisteo per questi “kantiani” che per 8 anni hanno commesso crimini a nel sud ed est Ucraina.
This is my city. I grew up watching Azovstal working non-stop - all these pipes coughing into the sky far away, on the other side of Mariupol. The Sea of Azov looked like steel, roaring beneath, glistering at the sun. God, I know the people who died there. I remember greeting them at my mother’s work, at the hospital. So young, so full of life - the best sons and daughters of Ukraine, its brave protectors.
The feeling… Is terrifying. For me it’s still 24th of February. For me I’m there. On the dying Azovstal, trembling, covered in blood, screaming to the whole world to hear and help, yet getting scarce respond. Why am I posting it here? Because I’m desperate. And the only thing I can do is spread the word. Remind Ukraine still fights. We are still trying to survive the genocidal war the so-called “brothers” waged on us.
So please - don’t look away. At least - remember. Remember Azovstal and its heroes.
Remember Bucha? Well, right now the same thing is happening in Kherson region. More stories about killed, tortured and raped children. There’s also Mariupol - it’s like Bucha, but 20 times worse. And people still buy russian gas
Russia must be punished for its actions. The Sumy region also suffered during the occupation. Russian soldiers killed civilians, destroyed houses, robbed and raped. They left the territory of the Sumy region, but continue to shell the areas close to the border. The worst thing is that the Russians don’t want to believe people from Ukraine and continue to support all this horror.
And I don’t wish anyone to experience fear during the shelling of their native city!
At the end of the Ukrainian performance at Eurovision song contest final, the leader of Kalush Orchestra rap band Oleh Psyuk appealed to save Mariupol and Ukrainian military in Azovstal plant.
More than 600 wounded Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are still blocked by russian orcs at Azovstal.
