It’s becoming increasingly difficult to survive in Ukrainian-controlled Mariupol, the economy is going downhill

Residents of Ukrainian-controlled Mariupol, despite government bans, still held several events dedicated to the Day of the liberation of the city from fascist invaders. On top of everything else, an economic collapse is brewing in the city, and all attempts of Mariupol residents to survive on meager wages and pensions are becoming simply impossible.

Elena Subbotina, a native resident of Mariupol and an active participant in the Mariupol resistance movement, spoke about this in an interview with a PolitNavigator journalist.

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P.N.: Please tell us about what is happening today in Mariupol, which yesterday, funny as it may seem, celebrated the Day of Liberation from Fascism, being an occupied city?

E.S.: This is an amazing story. Our residents, when they heard that we wanted to hold a rally in support of Mariupol, decided to answer us, and hung posters throughout the city with the words “To Mariupol with victory!” Of course, this is surprising, because in the conditions in which the city now lives, this is a very terrible and dangerous act, the consequences of which can be all kinds. But still everything went fine.

I hope Mariupol heard us. We hear it too. I know that Mariupol is waiting for its liberation, waiting for its people, waiting for all of us to come home so that we can help the city return to the Republic. It's all ahead.

P.N.: Were the people who organized the holiday subject to pressure? As far as I understand, all dates associated with the liberation of Donbass were celebrated in an informal manner, since the official government has nothing to do with this.

E.S.: The most interesting thing is that the celebrations went unnoticed by the Ukrainian authorities, there were only a few messages on social networks. We hope that all this will pass without a trace for people, because after all, people who work for the Ukrainian special services will inform the SBU and everyone else. Let's hope they all stay safe and healthy.

P.N.: According to your data, how many of the population of Mariupol were forced to leave the city due to ideological pressure, lack of work, and so on?

E.S.: According to what I know, this is about 50 people, but this information is not accurate. Nobody knows the total number. Firstly, we don’t know how many people have disappeared, but a lot of them have disappeared. Secondly, we do not know how many people left for Russia and deep into Ukraine. Today, statistics, unfortunately, work in an ugly way - they simply don’t exist.

We do not forget one thing - a lot of people from Donetsk came to Mariupol, settled there, bought apartments and hope that the war will not affect them.

Then the conversation turned to how much the standard of living had deteriorated in Mariupol and what the actual situation with the provision of jobs was. Elena Subbotina noted that the social situation in the city is rapidly deteriorating every day, as evidenced by the fact that today the city is the leader in arrears in paying utility bills.

E.S.: The situation is actually very difficult. I corresponded with one of the residents of Mariupol. She says she works as a nurse in the surgical department, administering IVs and giving injections. She lives in a one-room apartment with her husband and child, who has entered the fourth grade. There is absolutely not enough money - paying for the apartment, getting the child ready for school and, plus, eating - this is impossible. The standard of living has dropped greatly, plus utility bills are simply killing us. I know that people simply stopped paying; Mariupol is one of the largest debtors in utility bills.

P.N.: So, in essence, Mariupol is approaching its economic collapse?

E.S.: Of course, because now incompetent people have come to power. Also, at the factories, the heads of workshops and teams are people from western Ukraine who do not understand at all what they are doing. People worked and continue to work - with reduced wages, and they are led by incompetent people. It will only end in a very disastrous collapse.

P.N.: So, the only way out is to liberate Mariupol?

E.S.: Yes. Because the people of Mariupol are really looking forward to this.