Invaders distribute propaganda video from a "prom" in Mariupol

Diana Krechetova, UP.Zhyttia (Life) staff writer

2 July 2022

The Russians continue to film and distribute propaganda videos of "liberated" Ukrainians in Mariupol.

Petro Andriushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, has posted a video from an alleged prom at one of the schools.

"This is what the main celebration looks like for the class of 2022 stolen by the Russians. Instead of a ball, there are extras for propaganda.

At the same time, you can see all the falsity of the propaganda about there being thousands of students and about parental support for the regime. There are more collaborators and Russians at the event than people," Andriushchenko pointed out.

In the propaganda video, you can see no more than two dozen supposedly "happy graduates" with their parents and teachers. They didn't bother decorating the assembly hall: the Russian flag was stuck on a grey background on the left, and the tricolour of the so-called "Donetsk People’s Republic" was attached to the right.

Russian propaganda media outlets and social media channels have already started distributing the video, describing the event as a "celebration that brought tears to our eyes". The truth is, they are passing this off as a "victory" at a time when Ukrainians are living in a city that has been utterly devastated by the Russians.

The adviser to the mayor of Mariupol reported that Ukrainians are on the brink of survival due to the lack of drinking water. Every day 10-15 citizens complain of symptoms of cholera and dysentery, and the situation with medications is critical. 

Life is hard for people with diabetes because there is not enough insulin, and what is available is of poor quality. Up to five people with diabetes are having their limbs amputated every day because of this. And these are only some of the problems in Mariupol that the actions of the "liberators" have caused.