Stories from Mariupol · Ukraine

The National Resistance Center reports that occupational authorities in Mariupol are ignoring environmental pollution and failing to address the consequences. Authorities have reportedly shown indifference to the situation and effectively withdrawn from liquidation efforts.

Occupants are using specific structures to foster loyalty to the Russian army and prepare teenagers for military service in occupied territories. Reports indicate the militarization of children is a systemic process.

Explosions occurred in occupied Mariupol, reportedly caused by a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) impact. Footage shows the impact occurring without visible or audible air defense activity in the area.

Russia's Investigative Committee has opened more than 9,700 criminal cases regarding crimes allegedly committed by Ukrainian military formations against civilians and Russian servicemen.

The Investigative Committee of Russia reported finding the remains of 74 people in liberated settlements within the Donetsk People's Republic. The data was released by the committee's press service following a meeting held in Mariupol by the head of the agency. The Investigative Committee of Russia stated that the remains have been exhumed and scheduled for necessary forensic expertise. The findings were reported following a meeting in Mariupol led by Alexander Bastrykin. The committee stated it has opened more than 9,700 criminal cases regarding actions by Ukrainian military personnel. Forensic experts are currently working at the sites to conduct examinations. The investigation is being conducted as part of an effort to collect evidence of crimes committed by Kyiv.

Occupying authorities in Mariupol have decided to perform the final dismantling of the Aquilon market located near the railway station. The market was a for local residents for over 30 years, having developed dynamically since the 1990s. The decision was reported by the local news site 0629.com.ua. The discussion involves the potential liquidation of the site, which some observers suggest may be linked to fears regarding historical memory and the representation of the Gulag in museums. The source noted that narratives regarding the Gulag and Soviet-era repressions are being suppressed. Local reports from 0629.com.ua indicate the market was a for residents for purchasing goods such as clothing and household hardware.

Documents indicate the Mariupol Theater, which was bombed by Russian forces in 2022, has been restored, renamed, and reorganized. The theater is now being funded by Russian institutions.

Russian authorities claim a Himars system used by Ukraine caused a strike at the Azovstal plant. However, many experts who studied site imagery and testimonies from released Ukrainian prisoners deny this claim.

Kyiv maintains that an explosion was carried out from within a building to intentionally eliminate Russian prisoners of war. Moscow has reportedly denied international investigators access to additional documents regarding Alexei Navalny. This action is described as a deliberate attempt to eliminate prisoners. Kyiv reports that between 53 and 62 Ukrainian prisoners died following the destruction of a building housing them. Russian authorities have denied the claim, asserting the damage resulted from HIMARS strikes from the Ukrainian side. Radio Svoboda reported that the strike targeted prisoners defending the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. The report noted that while some suggest a Ukrainian HIMARS system was used, experts studying site imagery and testimonies from released Ukrainian prisoners have disputed that claim.

A banner displayed by Russian forces showing the ruins of the Mariupol theater, under which hundreds of Ukrainian civilians died while seeking shelter, has been highlighted. The civilians were killed despite 'children' signs in Russian on both sides of the theater. This event serves as a stark reminder of the conflict's human cost.