Russian troops in Mariupol to ban all movement in the city in preparation for “filtration” and mobilisation operation

Iryna Balachuk – Saturday, 16 April 2022, 10:08

Russian occupying troops in Mariupol are preparing to close all entries and exits to Mariupol and ban all movement in the city on 18 April in order to carry out a "filtration" operation among the city’s male population, some of whom will be mobilised.

Source: Petro Andriushchenko, Advisor to the Mayor of Mariupol, on Telegram

According to Andriushchenko: "Occupiers report that on Monday they will not only finally close all entries and exits to the city for everyone, but will institute a ban on movement across all neighbourhoods for a week. During this time, 100% of the city’s remaining male population will be "filtered." To this end, they will all be moved to Novoazovsk.

Some people will be mobilised to the Russian occupation corps, some will be forcibly deployed to clear the rubble, and those classified as unreliable will be isolated."

Details: Andriushchenko said that the Russian troops are planning to only allow those women and men to remain in the city who will serve essential needs. Mariupol authorities say that this is due to the inability of the Russian occupying troops to maintain even the minimal living condition for civilians in the city.

Andriushchenko noted that the "filtration" procedure is already at full speed.

In filtration camps and at checkpoints men first endure "standard" abuse (interrogation, checks of their mobile devices, body exams) and are then separated from others and taken to individual interrogations, which may include staged shooting. Those who do not "pass" the filtration (according to Andriushchenko, 5 to 10% of men don’t) are taken to Dokuchaievsk and Donetsk. The further fate of these men is currently unknown.

Andriushchenko added that the fighting in Mariupol is getting heavier and that Russian occupiers are deploying all available resources to storm the city.

According to the Mayor’s adviser, the appearance of TU bombers indicates the intention of Russian troops’ to drop high-power bombs on the city and then storm the Azovstal plant and the Mariupol seaport.

Russian troops are also spreading fakes: to "lift the spirits" of the occupiers and intimidate the people of Mariupol, they announced the arrest of a NATO general in Mariupol and spread false information about the "atrocities of Azov and the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

The humanitarian situation in Mariupol continues to deteriorate: there are virtually no doctors in the city, medicine is distributed chaotically and "without so much as a glimpse at a prescription or medical records."