Less than 5% of locals in Mariupol have Russian citizenship

Since the Russian occupation, less than 5% of Mariupol's residents willingly became citizens of the Russian Federation. As a result, the Russian occupiers enforced passporting

This was stated by a Mariupol City Council member, Dmytro Zabavin, on Espreso.

Zabavin stated that "unfortunately, Mariupol residents are subject to forced passporting as they opposed it for a year. Less than 5% of the total population received passports during the year of occupation, mainly collaborators and traitors."

He pointed out that none of the townspeople wanted Russian citizenship, so the occupiers forced passporting. Consequently, elderly people cannot receive pensions or assistance without a Russian passport. "Even for jobs as a cleaner, one must be a citizen of this terrorist country. Many people are being forced to receive this shameful identification," he added.