‘Shut his mouth, or you’ll all be shot’ How Russian occupation forces transformed the Ukrainian city of Melitopol into ‘Europe’s largest prison’ — Meduza
meduza.io
Russian troops entered Melitopol at the very start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, report journalists at iStories, the city has become a center of partisan resistance and simultaneously “the largest prison in Europe,” where Russian soldiers kidnap and torture residents with impunity. Meduza summarizes this latest report on Ukrainians’ lives under Russian occupation.

Abductions by Russian occupation forces in Melitopol became widespread as early as March 2022. This is when Ukrainian activists launched the “Kidnapped Melitopolians” hotline to collect information about disappeared locals.

  • @talEnglish
    2•9 months ago

    Winning hearts and minds, I see.

    EDIT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winning_hearts_and_minds

    Russia

    According to an assessment by University of Michigan political scientist Yuri Zhukov, Russia has responded to insurgent movements and large-scale insurrections since the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 with a counterinsurgency model diametrically opposed to the “hearts and minds” approach. Zhukov concluded that “Despite serious setbacks in Afghanistan and the first Chechen War, Russia has one of the most successful track records of any modern counterinsurgent.”[14]

    I suppose we’ll get to find out how well it works here. From OP’s article, doesn’t sound so great:

    Since then, report journalists at iStories, the city has become a center of partisan resistance