Russia attempts to rewrite history of occupied Mariupol — Center for Countering Disinformation

This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.

The head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, openly stated, "Mariupol was practically wiped off the face of the earth," comparing the destroyed city to besieged Leningrad.

Meanwhile, the Russian-installed mayor of occupied Mariupol, Oleg Morgun, provided figures confirming the catastrophic scale of destruction. 

According to him, out of over 47,000 private houses, only 13,000 remained undamaged, more than 10,000 require complete demolition, and another 13,000 need partial restoration.

The Russian-installed authorities claim that since the end of 2024, 400 private houses have been restored in the city. The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) noted that if these restoration figures are accurate, they are negligible compared to the total amount of destroyed housing.

"By drawing parallels with besieged Leningrad, the Russians are trying to rewrite Mariupol’s history. They aim to create an image of a 'martyr' city 'saved’ by Russia. But even their officials’ statements expose the truth: it was the Russian army that destroyed entire districts of Mariupol and killed thousands of its residents," the CCD emphasized.

• Last summer, journalist Mykola Osychenko told Espreso TV that there are almost no people left in Mariupol, and Russian occupiers are doing nothing to restore the city.