In the wake of the Russian occupation, Melitopol, once home to around 150,000 residents, witnessed a mass exodus, with over half of its citizens fleeing to Ukrainian-controlled territories and abroad after 24 February 2022.

However, Mayor Ivan Fedorov reveals a concerning shift in the city’s demographics after its seizure by Russian troops. Despite the outflow, the mayor claims that nearly 100,000 Russian citizens, including military personnel, labor migrants, and other foreigners, have been relocated to Melitopol by the occupiers within almost two years.

“The population of temporarily occupied Melitopol has become larger than before the full-scale invasion and occupation… Occupiers are uprooting Ukrainians, relocating thousands of migrant workers from Russia, and reshaping the nation’s gene pool,” emphasized the mayor.

Despite the challenges posed by the occupiers, Melitopol’s underground resistance persists, staging secret acts of defiance.

In November 2023, the partisans targeted the Russian-occupied premises of the local postal office, repurposed as a headquarters by the invaders.

Ukraine’s Intelligence: explosions in occupied Melitopol killed two Russian officers

The explosion resulted in the death of at least three Russian National Guard officers during a meeting with Federal Security Service (FSB) officials.

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