**The Hidden Reality of Mariupol: A City in Ruins**
Imagine a city where the sound of gunfire and screams still echo through the streets, where homes lie in ruins, and where residents live in fear of being caught by Russian authorities. This is the reality of Mariupol, a Ukrainian city that was occupied by Russia just over three years ago.
John, a 35-year-old resident who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, describes the city as “diseased.” “Most of Mariupol still lies in ruins,” he says. “They are repairing the facades of the buildings on the main streets, where they bring cameras to shoot. But around the corner, there is rubble and emptiness.”
**A False Picture**
In recent months, videos and reels from pro-Russia influencers have been painting a picture of Mariupol as a thriving city, where damaged structures have been repaired and life has gone back to normal. But these claims are far from true.
Olha Onyshko, 66, who escaped from Mariupol late last year, tells the BBC that “there are a lot of lies floating around.” She describes the city as “beautiful” but now “diseased,” with many buildings still in ruins and no water supply to speak of. James, another resident whose name has been changed, says that the water supply is so bad that it looks like “coca cola.”
**Life Under Occupation**
Residents live in constant fear of power cuts, food shortages, and medicine scarcity. Basic medicines are hard to come by, and diabetics struggle to get insulin on time. The city’s infrastructure is severely damaged, with frequent power outages and no reliable water supply.
But the most difficult part of living in Mariupol, residents say, is watching what Ukrainian children are being taught at school. They are forced to learn false information and propaganda about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. School textbooks claim that several Ukrainian regions are already part of Russia, a claim that is widely disputed by Ukrainians.
**The Secret Resistance**
Despite the hardships, there are those who refuse to give up on their homeland. A secret resistance movement has been waging war against Russian occupation in Mariupol, with residents spray-painting Ukrainian colors and posting leaflets calling for liberation.
James and John, both members of the resistance, document information about Russian military movements and transmit it to Ukrainian intelligence through secure channels. They also try to sabotage civil or military operations whenever possible. But their work is high-risk, and many have been forced to flee after being exposed by Russian authorities.
**A Plea for Liberation**
As talks continue between Ukraine and Russia, there are suggestions that Ukraine may need to concede land in exchange for a peace deal. But residents of Mariupol reject this idea outright, saying it would be a betrayal of their trust. “We don’t want ‘peace at any cost,'” John says. “We want liberation.”
For those still living in Mariupol, each day is a challenge. They live in constant fear of being caught by Russian authorities and face daily struggles to survive. But despite the hardships, they refuse to give up on their homeland.
**Reporting by Imogen Anderson, Anastasiia Levchenko, Volodymyr Lozhko, and Sanjay Ganguly**
Read More @ www.bbc.com
