Mariupol Is Diseased: Residents Reject Russian Claims of Normalcy in Occupied City

Mariupol Is Diseased’: Ukrainian Residents Speak Out Against Russian Occupation Narrative

Despite claims on Russian media of recovery and normal life in occupied Mariupol, residents tell a starkly different story. Locals say that behind the façades repaired for propaganda, the city remains devastated, unsafe, and stripped of its Ukrainian identity.

“What they’re showing on Russian TV are fairy tales for fools,” said one resident, John (name changed). “People still live in half-destroyed apartments.”

The 2022 siege left 90% of Mariupol’s residential buildings damaged or destroyed. While central streets have been cosmetically repaired, rubble, ruined homes, and grave health hazards remain.

Infrastructure Collapse and Water Crisis

Residents like James (name changed) describe frequent power cuts and a critical water shortage, worsened by damage to the Siverskyi Donets–Donbas Canal. Water runs intermittently, and what flows is yellow and unsafe, described by some as resembling “Coca-Cola.”

“We boil it, but it’s still scary to drink,” he said.

Medicines like insulin are unaffordable or missing entirely. Basic medical care, already strained, is now near collapse in occupied Mariupol.

Russian Propaganda in Schools

Local schools have replaced Ukrainian education with Russian propaganda, teaching that entire Ukrainian regions are already part of Russia. Special classes titled “Conversations about Important Things” promote Moscow’s narrative of “liberation from Nazis.”

“Teachers who resist are fired or intimidated,” said John.

Students and teachers are forced to conform or risk retaliation, in what residents call an indoctrination campaign aimed at children.

A Hidden Resistance in the Shadows

Despite the dangers, a Ukrainian resistance movement continues operating inside Mariupol. Members risk arrest and death to collect intelligence, sabotage rail lines, and spread messages of defiance.

James said he documents Russian troop and weapon movements, passing information to Ukrainian forces via encrypted channels.

On at least two occasions, resistance groups disrupted railway signals used for military logistics.

“Our goal is liberation, not peace at any cost,” said John.

Activist Andrii, who fled the city after being identified, described a narrow escape through Russian checkpoints, Belarus, and back into Ukrainian territory.

Fear and Surveillance Dominate Daily Life

In Mariupol, locals live in constant fear. Phones are checked at checkpoints, neighbors may act as informants, and social contacts in Ukraine can raise suspicion.

“Your life is like a movie – a constant tension, fear, distrust,” James said.

Arrests are common. One neighbor was reportedly taken off the street for allegedly communicating with the Ukrainian military.

As the war drags on, many in occupied cities worry international peace deals could mean territorial concessions. For those risking everything, such a deal would be a betrayal.

“We don’t want peace at any cost,” said John. “We want liberation.”