Over 11,000 school-age children remain in Mariupol

DIANA KRECHETOVA

More than 11,000 school-age children remain in the temporarily occupied city of Mariupol [Donetsk Oblast].

Source: Petro Andriushchenko, adviser to the mayor of the city, referring to the data of the so-called occupation administration of the Department of Education.

"We estimated from 10,000 to 15,000 according to the calculation methodology. But thanks to access to the documents of the occupation administration of the Department of Education, which were recovered by Mariupol.Sprotyv ("Mariupol.Resistance"), we have accurate data.

To date, there are 11,022 school-age children in Mariupol," summed up Andriushchenko.

The specified number of children corresponds to the estimated data of the current local authorities regarding the total population of Mariupol, which remained in the Ukrainian city captured by the Russians as of 1 December 2022, the mayor's adviser adds.

However, the occupation "authorities" in the request for funding for the next year used double the number of Mariupol residents, 250,000 people. According to Andriushchenko, this was done for profit.

"This is the size of gauleiters' [Russian-appointed governors – ed.] appetites for pocketing money. However, we once again see how much the invaders lied for the sake of propaganda," the official emphasises.

At the same time, data on school occupancy in Mariupol helped to understand the trend of resettlement of residents in the city. According to Andriushchenko, some parts of the city have turned into "black spots of war".

"It is easy to see trends in the settlement of people based on the occupancy rate of schools. Not a surprise, but the densest settlement in the eastern part is in the Left-Bank district and residential microdistricts No. 17-23 is in the Central District. All the others are black spots of war," the mayor's adviser emphasises.

Also, according to Andryiushchenko, who operates with data from the local "authorities", the Russians put more than 2,800 children through the so-called "Re-education camps" during the occupation period, hiding behind tourism purposes.

"For the entire period of occupation, 2,804 or (according to the occupiers' data) 28 per cent of all (although surprisingly these figures do not correlate with the data of children in schools for 282 children, bau that’s not really important; mathematics and the occupiers don’t get along well)," reports Andriushchenko.

Note, that now in the temporarily occupied Mariupol there is a critical situation, in particular, due to the lack of heating. This affects both adults and children who are in the classrooms and forced to sit in jackets and hats to keep somehow warm. At the same time, collaborating teachers simulate the educational process and hold "conversations about the important things".

In addition to physical discomfort, schoolchildren are also subjected to psychological pressure, because, according to the city council, children are searched in educational institutions every day. Collaborators also hold "a minute of singing the national anthem of the Russian Federation" in schools.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!