During the trip of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the occupied Mariupol, Donetsk region, which, as claims Kremlin website, took place on the night of March 19, Russian propaganda was caught filming a staged story about the “joy” of local residents from the arrival of the head of the occupying country.
Relevant video without cuts at the time of publication of the news available on the official website of the Kremlin (approximately at around 2 min. 30 sec.).
“It’s all not true! It’s for show!” – a woman’s cry is heard against the background of Putin’s conversation with the population.
The footage shows that at this moment those accompanying the President of the Russian Federation turn around, and some of them make signs with their hands.
Russian propaganda channel “star” Telegram also publishes a video with this remark.
Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko on Telegram claims that most of the Russian propaganda media subsequently distributed a censored version of the video, where the moment with the woman screaming off-screen was cut. “The cut version was already on TV,” he wrote. The adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs believes that the woman was screaming from the window.
The Kremlin press service claims that Putin flew to Mariupol by helicopter and by car “traveled around several districts of the city, examined the coastline in the area of the yacht club, the theater building, memorable places.”
“In the Nevsky microdistrict, Vladimir Putin talked with the residents of Mariupol. During the conversation, Mariupol residents asked questions related to the delay in paying salaries, obtaining Russian citizenship and passports. At the invitation of one of the families, the president went to their home,” the official description of Putin’s meeting with Mariupol residents on the Kremlin website.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine noted that Putin visited Marrupol at night, “as befits a thief,” so that it would be easier to hide from prying eyes in the video materials following the visit the real state of the city destroyed by the occupying Russian army.
Mariupol was surrounded by Russian troops during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. Since the beginning of March, it has been under blockade, since the second half of May, the city has been in complete occupation.
About 130,000 people remained in Mariupol at the beginning of August. Before the full-scale invasion, 530 thousand people lived in the city. According to various estimates, from 20 thousand to 25 thousand civilians died during the battles for the city, there is no exact data.
Ukrainian resistance is active in Mariupol. The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in an operational analysis noted that effective Ukrainian guerrilla attacks distract the occupiers from performing tasks at the front.
The mayor of Mariupol, Vadim Boychenko, said that the Russians damaged 1,800 high-rise buildings in Mariupol by shelling. The invaders identified 934 buildings that are being demolished today, 400 houses have already been completely destroyed. According to the mayor, 50% of the city now does not exist.
In September 2022, Mayor’s adviser Petr Andryushchenko reported that the occupiers continue to destroy Mariupol with thoughtless demolition of houses, leaving Mariupol residents without housing and things.
The head of the Donetsk regional military administration Pavel Kirilenko said that the occupiers are not able to restore the destroyed infrastructure of Mariupol.
On March 9, Boychenko reported that the occupiers had stopped all construction in Mariupol, because they were aware of the proximity of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
