Russian military allows Melitopol residents to go only to Crimea - Mayor
IRYNA BALACHUK - FRIDAY, 1 APRIL 2022, 10:59
As of 1 April, about 70,000-75,000 people remain in the occupied city of Melitopol. These people want to leave the city, but the Russian occupiers are only allowing them to travel freely to Crimea.
Source: Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopol, on national joint TV broadcast
According to Fedorov: "The situation in the city is quite difficult because of the genocide. When the Ruscists [Russian fascists] failed to get the support of the citizens, they decided to make things as difficult as possible for our citizens.
According to my estimates, about 70,000-75,000 people currently remain within Melitopol. The occupiers are doing everything to stop people from leaving the city. It is our understanding that they need hostages.
They are only letting them go to Crimea. They say you can get there without any problems, but our people don't want to go to Crimea. They want to go to Ukraine."
Details: According to the mayor, an evacuation convoy is now gathering near the fire station in Melitopol, and it is hoped that around 1,500-2,000 people will be able to evacuate from Melitopol to Zaporizhzhia on 1 April.
Fedorov pointed out that the journey from Zaporizhzhia to Melitopol used to take only 1 hour, but now, because of the occupying forces, it takes 2 days. The Russians are deliberately delaying everything in order to block convoys of people leaving the city. They want to occupy as much of the city as possible.
The mayor also added that all citizens continue to live in constant terror, in particular teachers, continues because the invaders wanted to restart teaching from 4 April.
Fedorov stressed that teachers are refusing to cooperate with the occupiers - as of 31 March, all the principals of schools in the city had written letters of resignation.
The mayor of Melitopol also added that 29 mayors, deputy mayors and deputies are being held captive by the invaders. Also among the captives are hundreds of civilians.
He also said that the Russians were running their Internet line to occupied Melitopol from Crimea.
