People in occupied Mariupol endure unemployment and lawlessness

Speaking on Espreso TV, Osychenko shared his insights.

"There are many locals practically held hostage with no job options. They can either work in construction for much less than guest workers or take low-paying jobs like cleaners, or things of that sort. They've been pulled out of the stone age that Russia created in spring 2022, only a little, and now people think this is normal life, but it’s not. There are no jobs. There are frequent electricity issues, not because of blackouts like here, since "someone" destroyed everything, but because no one maintains anything. Everything that is done is done for show, and this show is just for Russian TV," Osychenko explained.

He emphasized that Mariupol residents don’t see the true state of their city on propaganda channels.

"They see on TV that everything’s fine, but they step outside and see horror. On the city’s left bank, there are broken houses and graves in yards and flowerbeds. Russia doesn’t care about the locals, and people are starting to understand this," he said.

Osychenko highlighted the rampant corruption and lawlessness in Mariupol: "It’s like the 90s multiplied by five. Many people carry weapons, disregard laws, and there are many guest workers. People violate even the few laws that exist. It’s strange to me that people faced with this still go to rallies and appeal to Putin for help."

• On May 15, reports indicated that the Russian Federation continues to bring migrants to Mariupol, increasing the Russian population in the city by 7.8 thousand in six months.