Russia currently occupies about 18 percent of Ukraine’s territory. Yet reliable information about what life is like there is hard to come by, since there is no longer any access for Ukrainian media. Nevertheless, various Ukrainian initiatives aim to shed light on what is happening in the occupied territories. The picture they paint is one of violent repression, propaganda and forced Russification. FRANCE 24’s correspondent Gulliver Cragg reports.
Almost a fifth of Ukraine‘s territory is occupied by Russia. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled those areas and continue to do so, although the Russian authorities often try to prevent them, and the journey is a long and expensive one. Many residents remain, some acquiescent to Russian rule, others unwilling or unable to leave for a whole range of reasons. Not least because if they do, they are likely to lose their homes forever, as Russian soldiers or workers move in.
Reliable information about what life is like in the occupied territories is limited, as there is no access for Ukrainian media. In September, the last Ukrainian journalist to attempt to report from the occupied areas – Viktoria Roshchyna – died in Russian custody. Nevertheless, various Ukrainian initiatives aim to shed light on what is happening there, using sources on the ground (often via encrypted messaging services) and the testimonies of those who got out. The picture they paint is one of violent repression and forced Russification. Part of that has been the intensive development of new propaganda media in those areas.
As hopes of a swift military victory for Ukraine fade, and fears mount that the country could lose yet more territory, there is increasing speculation that Kyiv may leave Moscow in de facto control of the land it now occupies, in exchange for a ceasefire. A horrific prospect for many Ukrainians.
Danylo Mokryk’s film, which is featured in this report, was produced by The Kyiv Independent.
It is available to watch on Youtube with English or French subtitles.
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