On Monday, Mayor Ivan Federov of Melitopol in southern Ukraine sat down at his desk to put out his regular Facebook update.
He warned his supporters that the Russian forces invading the city had taken control of the city’s communications network, and that they should be skeptical of what they heard on the radio and television.
He had no idea how many people would see his message.
Melitopol’s internet connection has also nearly vanished, making it difficult to contact those inside via WhatsApp or Telegram, or to stay online for more than a few minutes.
When the Telegram app finally connected, Federov said that regular phone lines were no longer an option.
He stated, “We cannot utilize.” “It’s far too easy for the Russians to eavesdrop.”
The invading soldiers ransacked the mayor’s offices when they took possession of Melitopola a week ago, Federov added, exiling his team to another site where they are striving to continue administering their city.
“We are not cooperating in any manner with the Russians,” Federov stated categorically.
“They have not attempted to assist us, they are unable to assist us, and we do not desire their assistance.”
Also read: Russia Threatens to Shut Down Gas Pipeline To Germany
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has stated that he is freeing traditionally Russian areas and languages from a Nazi regime.
His men, however, have been treated as occupiers in Melitopol and a string of other primarily Russian-speaking southern and eastern cities.
“Every day there are protests in Melitopol,” said Yuliya Kovaliova, 33, who worked in her family’s electronics store before the invasion.
“The Russian army started shooting at us at some point, and one man was killed, but we haven’t stopped protesting,” Kovaliova said.
“Because we are together, we are not frightened to protest.
We are terrified of walking alone at night, but not of protesting.”
Despite a gunshot last week that injured a man in the leg, Federov estimated that about 5,000 people gathered in Melitopol’s center square on Tuesday.
Protests have been recorded in occupied and partially occupied cities and towns across the region, including Kherson, Berdyansk, Starobilsk, and Novopskov.
Residents and local mayors were contacted in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the situation on the ground.
“I don’t know how to count how many people were demonstrating; I felt it was at least 2,000,” Yunona, a 29-year-old IT worker in Kherson, said.
“When one of our friends was beaten and kidnapped by Russian soldiers, the locals became so enraged that they chased the occupiers down the street and returned him.”
Olha, a 63-year old English teacher, described the Russian troops in Kherson as “young and insecure.”
“Every day, we go to the protests, and they are near to us, yet they appear to be terrified,” she said.
“All we have to do now is wait for the Ukrainian army to expel them.”
There have been few reports of major violence against Ukrainian protestors, and Russian soldiers appear to be keeping a wary eye on the situation.
However, several mayors were torn between how much to encourage their residents to take to the streets and how much to discourage them.
“Our people must protest, but they must also preserve their lives,” Melitopol Mayor Federov remarked.
“I’ve asked them to go around the Russian soldiers rather than near them,” says the commander.
The mayor of Novopskov, a town in Donbas, Vadym Gaev, said that regular protests had occurred, but that they had come to a halt three days ago when Russian military shot three protestors – non-fatally – and beaten another.
According to Gaev, Russian military told an intermediary that they had been given permission to shoot protestors, therefore there should be no more.
Novopskov appeared to be an example of a weird and unpleasant situation that was playing out in various sections of Ukraine, where local Ukrainian officials were still operating in some capacity but Russian military forces were in charge.
Mayor Yana Litvinova of the neighbouring seized city of Starobilsk was also working remotely, she claimed.Vadym Gaev, the mayor of Novopskov, a town near Donbas, said there had been daily protests but they had stopped three days ago when Russian soldiers shot three protestors – non-fatally – and beat another. Gaev said the Russian troops told an intermediary they had authorisation to shoot protesters, so there should be no more protests.
Novopskov appeared to be an example of a strange and uneasy scenario playing out in some parts of Ukraine, where local Ukrainian officials were continuing to function in some form but Russian military forces were in control. In the occupied city of Starobilsk, nearby, mayor Yana Litvinova was also working remotely, she said.
“A new ‘administration’ has been appointed. The only thing we know is that it is going around government buildings and asking people to co-operate, and they are refusing.”
