Imagine an occupied Ukrainian city with Russian troops. You expect to see anything, but not Ukrainian flags and people protesting and shouting “Ukraine above all!” Remember: Russian troops are everywhere, they have weapons. And they shoot.
Article is provided by representatives of Kyiv-Mohyla University who have made their services available to provide accurate, timely, on-the-ground reporting about the war in Ukraine, including nuanced localized ongoing updates on what is happening across the country, as well as commentary and analysis.
City Protests
After the Russian Armed Forces captured Kherson, the Kremlin had a plan. It brought 80 actors from Crimea who had to act out as happy grateful residents of Kherson which received humanitarian aid from their caring country Russia. However, the plan failed. Thousands of residents with blue and yellow flags occupied a central square and refused to take any handouts from Russian soldiers. They sang the national anthem of Ukraine instead.
Serhiy Pavliuk, an Honored Art Worker of Ukraine, said, “Am I afraid? Of course, I am. I am a father of 5 kids. However, Kherson residents must demonstrate their position”.
In Melitopol people have been protesting for nearly a week and are determined to do so unless the Russian Armed Forces leave the city. By the way, Melitopol is believed to be on the verge of a humanitarian crisis: there is a shortage of food and medicine and occupants refuse to provide a humanitarian corridor. Nevertheless, people don’t give up. Mayor Fedorov says: “They definitely do not want [to be part of] another country, they definitely do not want a regime in which peaceful protesters will be shot.” And such situations are in a lot of cities.
In Enerhodar a crowd of people met Russian occupants barehanded, resisting their entry. According to the mayor, “Thousands of people came to show that they do not need to be saved, that they are in their country, on their land, that Energodar is Ukraine!”Also, residents of Berdyansk expressed their will in demonstrations. They shouted “Berdyansk is Ukraine” and “Go home” to Russian soldiers. The same situation is in Nova Kakhovka, Henichesk, Novooleksiivka, Moreover, in Nova Kakhovka Russian troops fired at peaceful civilians, which did not pose any danger. As a result, one person died and seven got wounded. Likewise, in Novopskov Russians shot at unarmed residents who protested against occupants.
Other Examples of Bravery
People are determined to fight for their freedom and oppose the hostile army in a plentiful of different ways. In village Dobrianka in the Chernihiv region, residents approached the Belarussian border, sang the Ukrainian anthem, telling neighbors that no one was waiting for them here. In Bakhmut people attempted to stop the tanks from moving to Kyiv by blocking the road. The same things happened in Starobilsk, Koriukivka, where unarmed communities gathered together and stood up to Russian soldiers.
Besides, in Berdyansk, a man barehanded removed the mine under the bridge and carried it to the forest. In the Sumy region, a woman refused to give Russian occupants her passport, adhering to the Constitution of Ukraine and accusing them of seizing her land and murdering people. In Henichesk another woman angrily shouted at the Russian soldier, demanding him to leave Ukraine. “Put sunflower seeds in your pocket. Maybe, something will sprout”, she said. In addition, in Ripky in the Chernihiv region, upon capturing the village, occupants started dictating their rules. One of them promised to use force and shoot the village with artillery if he encountered disobedience. In response, citizens refused to conform and sang the national anthem of Ukraine, although they could have been killed at any moment.
How is Putin going to make these irresistible people surrender? How much time does he need to realize that Ukrainians are not like Russians, that they are impossible to silence? Ukraine will always resist. The quicker Putin realizes it, the better it will be for him and his country.
