Queues for water and forced enrolment into the “militia”: mayor’s adviser describes life in occupied Mariupol

Olena Barsukova, Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia — SUNDAY, 5 JUNE 2022

In Mariupol, people have to sign up for a queue at least two days in advance to get drinking water.

The occupiers are also forcing the city's residents to work for food, and "humanitarian aid" is only given to pensioners.

Petro Andriushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, has described the situation on Telegram.

"Now [you can get] drinking water only every two days at best. The main reason is falling water levels in the natural sources of water intake.

They are predicting a further reduction in water supplies due to natural causes - the summer heat," Andriushchenko wrote.

Andriushchenko says there is no supply of non-potable water for hygiene purposes in the city at all.

At the same time, the occupiers are ostentatiously watering the lawns to show off the "restoration of the city" in their propaganda videos.

"This is what cynicism looks like. Drinking water is available every two days. There is no supply of non-potable water for hygiene purposes.

But we water the lawns regularly so that there is something to make a movie about how ‘life has got better’. No words. Only rage," the mayor's adviser wrote.

Humanitarian aid from the occupiers has also been reduced, the mayor's adviser added.

Now it is given only to people of retirement age. Everyone else only gets it if they "work" [for the occupiers]. 

Young people are forced to enrol in the "militia" and help the mobile patrols, particularly with "filtering".

If they refuse to cooperate, Ukrainians are threatened with mobilisation into the "DPR" [self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic] army.

"Mariupol is being deliberately and systematically transformed into a ghetto for Ukrainians," Petro Andriushchenko said.