Zaporizhzhia Oblast Council Head Olena Zhuk told Liga that in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russian occupiers are reinstating the worst aspects of the Soviet era. She noted that residents are facing unpaid wages, long lines for services, and a lack of legal protection and quality services.
“If I may put it briefly, on the temporarily occupied territories, the worst aspects of the Soviet era are returning […] Censorship, total control of behavior on the internet, wiretapping of phone calls and conversations in queues – these are the new realities for people who were accustomed to living in a democratic society under Ukrainian governance,” Zhuk stated.
She highlighted that Ukrainians in occupied areas are denied access to healthcare, social benefits, and jobs without a Russian passport.
“There’s coercion in all spheres, particularly in recruiting our people into the enemy’s army. The occupiers are registering teenagers, conducting zombification (aggressive indoctrination, – Ed.) in schools and colleges, and organizing aggressive information campaigns to force Ukrainians to fight against Ukrainians,” explained the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Council.
Earlier, during his visit to Washington DC, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church leader Sviatoslav Shevchuk warned that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is exterminating religious freedom, returning to Soviet-era levels of persecution. As per his data, Russians imprisoned or killed around 50 religious ministers of various faiths in the occupied territories.
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