2022 protests in Russian-occupied Ukraine

Last updated

2022 protests in Russian-occupied Ukraine
Part of the protests against the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date24 February 2022 (2022-02-24) – April 2022
Location
Towns and cities of Ukraine under Russian occupation
Caused by Russian invasion of Ukraine
Goals
  • Withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine
  • End of Russian occupation of towns and cities
Methods
  • Demonstrations
  • Civil resistance
StatusOngoing
Parties

Ukrainian resistance:

Casualties and losses
At least 1 dead, 13 injured

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting Russian occupation of multiple Ukrainian towns and cities, numerous cases of non-violent resistance against the invasion took place. Local residents organised protests against the invasion and blocked the movement of Russian military equipment. The Russian military dispersed the protests, sometimes with live fire, injuring many and killing some. Most of the large protests ended in March.

Contents

Human Rights Watch reports that protesters have been tortured in the south of the occupation zone. [2]

Timeline

Anti-occupation protests in Berdiansk, 28 February

North

On 25 February, the city of Konotop was surrounded by Russian troops. On 2 March, at a gathering of city residents, the city's mayor, Artem Semenikhin (from the political party Svoboda), said that the Russian military was threatening to shell the city in case of disobedience and offered to resist. His proposal was followed by a standing ovation from the crowd. [3]

There were protests in Slavutych on 26 March, as the Battle of Slavutych escalated, with Russians attempting to occupy the city. According to reports, Russian troops had abducted the mayor of Slavutych, Yuri Fomichev; he was ultimately released in time to address a protest rally against the Russian invasion, which took place later that day in the city square. [4] More than 5,000 city residents took part in the peaceful protest, [5] until it was disrupted by Russian troops firing warning shots and launching stun grenades into the crowd. At least one civilian was injured. [6]

South: Zaporizhzhia

On 27 February, in Dniprorudne, the residents, along with the mayor, blocked roads to stop Russian troops. [7]

On 28 February, in Berdiansk, when Russian troops had already entered the town, residents organised a protest, after which the Russians removed their technique from the city centre. [8] Similar rallies are often repeated. [9] [10] On 20 March Russian troops opened warning shots, threatening the protesters, and repressed a demonstration. [11]

During 1–2 March, thousands of residents of Enerhodar blocked the city entrance for Russian military convoys. [12] [13] On 20 March, a rally against the kidnapping of residents and officials by Russian troops took place in the city. [14] On 2 April, Russian troops violently dispersed the rally with explosions. [15]

On 1 March, in Melitopol, local residents organised a protest rally during which they marched along the avenue from Victory Square to the SBU building, occupied by the Russian military. According to the online local publication Our City, "unable to withstand the pressure [outside the building], Russian soldiers opened fire, first in the air, and then on the townspeople" and "one person received a gunshot wound in the knee". [16] [17] According to the BBC News Ukrainian Service, local residents organised a peaceful protest under Ukrainian flags and accused Russian soldiers of shelling and looting shops. [18] As of 10 March, processions through the Melitopol city centre were repeated daily. [19] [20]

On 2 March, regular actions were held in Prymorsk. [21] [22]

On 2 March, near the village of Vodyanoye in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, local residents blocked the road for Russian troops. Negotiations were held between the mayor of Vodyanoye and the mayor of the neighbouring village of Kamenka with a representative of the Russian side, who said that if the military convoy passed peacefully through the settlement to its destination, no one would be hurt; residents did not accept this offer. According to the mayor of nearby Enerhodar, at around 15:30 local time, Russian troops opened fire on the protesters, injuring two of them. [23]

On 7 March, there were protests in Tokmak. [24]

East

On 1 March, in Kupiansk, Kharkiv oblast, the Russian army dispersed demonstrations. [25]

In Starobilsk, civilians blocked roads for Russian military forces. [26] On 6 March, locals tore down and burned the flag of the LPR, which was raised by Russian troops near the local government building, and replaced it with the Ukrainian flag while singing the national anthem. [27] [28]

On 4 March, after the occupation of Novopskov in the Luhansk Oblast by Russian troops, local residents protested under Ukrainian flags. According to Ukrainska Pravda , citing locals, one person was injured as a result of shooting at protesters. [29] On 5 March, the local residents protested again against the Russian occupation, and warning shots were again opened on them. According to the head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration, Serhiy Haidai, three locals were injured. [30] [31]

On 5 March, a significant number of civilians carrying Ukrainian flags and singing the Ukrainian anthem marched through the streets of Bilokurakyne in the Luhansk Oblast. The march was stopped by Russian forces. [28]

On 6 March, there were protests in Novotroitske, Luhansk oblast. [32]

On 8 March, locals from Svatove in the Luhansk Oblast gathered on the streets to protest against the occupation by Russian forces. Russian soldiers later threatened to disperse the rally by opening fire. [28]

South: Kherson

On 5 March, residents of Kherson went to a rally with Ukrainian flags and chanted that the city is still Ukrainian and will never be Russian, despite Russian occupation. The Russian military opened warning fire on the protesters. At the same time, the National Police of Ukraine published a video where a Kherson police officer, holding a Ukrainian flag in his hands, jumped on a Russian armoured personnel carrier that was driving past the rally, and local residents supported his action with shouts and applause. [33]

On 6 March, there were protests in Chonhar under the flags of Crimean Tatars. [34] [35]

On 6 March, during a rally in Nova Kakhovka, the Russian military opened fire on protesters indiscriminately "despite the fact that people were unarmed and did not pose any threat," resulting in at least one death and seven injuries. On 7 March, the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine, according to Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war, associated with premeditated murder), opened a criminal case on the deaths of several protesters. [36]

On 16 March, there was a rally in Skadovsk against the kidnapping of the mayor. [37] [38] In the city, civilians removed Russian flags from the government building. [39]

On 20 March, protesters in Kherson confronted several Russian military vehicles and told them to "go home". [40] On 27 April, the city council representatives were forced out, and a pro-Ukrainian protest was dispersed. [41]

In March, there were demonstrations in Oleshky, Henichesk, Kakhovka, Hola Prystan, Zaliznyi Port, Novotroitske, Chaplynka, and other cities in the Kherson oblast. [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Schreck, Carl (6 March 2022). "'Sent As Cannon Fodder': Locals Confront Russian Governor Over 'Deceived' Soldiers In Ukraine". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Ukraine: Torture, Disappearances in Occupied South". Human Rights Watch. 22 July 2022.
  3. ↑ Давыдова, Гера (3 March 2022). ""Кто за? Воюем!". Жители захваченных украинских городов протестуют против российских военных" ["Who agrees? Let's fight!" Residents of captured Ukrainian cities protest against the Russian military]. Медиазоне (in Russian). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Балачук, Ірина (26 March 2022). "У Славутичі є поранені, але мера окупанти відпустили" [There are wounded in Slavutych, but the mayor was released by the occupiers]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  5. ↑ Рощіна, Олена (27 March 2022). "Мер окупованого Славутича: Компромісів не було, росіяни поставили одну умову" [Mayor of occupied Slavutych: There were no compromises, the Russians set one condition]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  6. ↑ Орлова, Віолетта (26 March 2022). "Танки РФ ввійшли у Славутич: містяни зібралися на проукраїнські протести". unian.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "На Запоріжжі мер із містянами зупинили російський танк" [On Zaporizhzhia (oblast) mayor with locals are stopped russian tank]. 27 February 2022.
  8. ↑ В окупованому Бердянську люди вийшли на протест, «послали» окупантів — і ті вивели військову техніку з центру - Hromadske (in Ukrainian) 28 February 2022
  9. ↑ Свобода, Радіо (14 March 2022). "Мирні жителі у Запорізькій області не припиняють виходити на вулиці проти загарбників з РФ" [Civilians in Zaporizhzhia oblast don't stop go out to rally against of RF invaders]. Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian).
  10. ↑ Янковський, Олександр; Приазов'я, Новини (5 March 2022). "Бердянськ та Херсон протестують під дулами російських автоматів". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian).
  11. ↑ "Ukraine war: Protests held in Russian occupied Ukrainian cities Kherson, Energodar and Berdyansk". inews. 20 March 2022.
  12. ↑ "Енергодар: люди не пускають колону РФ в місто" (in Ukrainian). 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Жителі Енергодара стали стіною на захист міста" [residents of Energodar became a wall to protect the city] (in Ukrainian). 3 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Свобода, Радіо (20 March 2022). "В Енергодарі – протести після викрадення військами РФ посадовця міськради" [in Energodar - protest after kidnapping official from city council by russian army]. Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian).
  15. ↑ "Russian troops disperse pro-Ukraine rally in occupied town, local authorities say". Reuters. 2 April 2022.
  16. ↑ Фесенко, Михаил (1 March 2022). "Мелитопольцы перекрыли дорогу для российской военной техники" [Melitopol residents blocked the road for Russian military equipment]. Наш Город (in Russian). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  17. ↑ Фесенко, Михаил (2 March 2022). "На мирном митинге российские военные ранили мелитопольца" [At a peaceful rally, the Russian military wounded a citizen of Melitopol]. Наш Город (in Russian). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  18. ↑ ""Орки, йдіть геть": Мелітополь вийшов на протест" ["Orcs, go away": Melitopol went on protest]. BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). BBC. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  19. ↑ Время, Настоящее (4 March 2022). "Мэр захваченного Мелитополя: "Ситуация на грани гуманитарной катастрофы, если не будут остановлены бои и не откроются гуманитарные коридоры"" [Mayor of captured Melitopol: "The situation is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe if the fighting is not stopped and humanitarian corridors are not opened"]. Настоящее Время (in Russian). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  20. ↑ "В захваченных городах Запорожской области проходят акции протеста против присутствия российских войск" [Protests against the presence of Russian troops are held in the captured cities of the Zaporizhzhia region]. Крым.Реалии (in Russian). 10 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  21. ↑ "У Приморську місцеві жителі четвертий день поспіль виходять на протести проти російської окупації, – ВІДЕО | Перший Запорiзький".
  22. ↑ https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-zaporizhzhua-protesty%5B%5D
  23. ↑ "У Запорізькій області окупанти закидали гранатами жителів, які перекрили дорогу (ВІДЕО)" [In the Zaporizhzhia region occupiers threw grenades at residents who blocked the road (VIDEO)]. Depo.ua (in Ukrainian). 2 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  24. ↑ "У Токмаку люди не дають окупантам знімати національні прапори. Відео". 7 March 2022.
  25. ↑ В окупованому Куп’янську люди вийшли на мітинг за Україну - Українська правда (in ukrainian) 1 March 2022
  26. ↑ "ВІДЕО: Старобільськ на Луганщині теж мітингує проти окупантів".
  27. ↑ "В Старобельске жители сняли флаг оккупантов и спели гимн Украины" [Residents of Starobilsk removed the flag of the occupiers and sang the anthem of Ukraine]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Russian). 7 March 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  28. 1 2 3 Yuri Zoria (9 March 2022). "Ukrainians of occupied towns protest against Russian invaders, undermining "liberator" narrative". euromaidanpress.com. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  29. ↑ "Новопсков на Луганщине: россияне открыли огонь по безоружным людям" [Novopskov in Luhansk region: Russians opened fire on unarmed people]. Украинская правда (in Ukrainian). 5 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  30. ↑ "Оккупанты открыли огонь по патриотическому митингу в новопскове, есть пострадавший" [Occupiers opened fire on a patriotic rally in Novopskov, there is a victim]. Новости Донбасса (in Russian). 5 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  31. ↑ "У Новопскові троє людей постраждали під час спроби зупинити росіян, які відкрили вогонь - Гайдай" [In Novopskov, three people were injured while trying to stop the Russians who opened fire - Gaidai]. Interfax Україна (in Ukrainian). 5 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  32. ↑ "На Херсонщині та Луганщині люди продовжують чинити опір окупантам і виходять на мітинги (ВІДЕО)" [On Kherson and Luhansk regions people are continue resist to ocupiers and go for protest] (in Ukrainian). hromadske. 6 March 2022.
  33. ↑ Мартынко, Кристина (5 March 2022). "Жители Херсона протестуют под обстрелами российских оккупантов: Мы не боимся! Херсон - это Украина!" [Residents of Kherson protest under fire from Russian invaders: We are not afraid! Kherson is Ukraine!]. KP in Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  34. ↑ "На адмінмежі з Кримом протестували проти російської окупації" [On the administrative border with Crimea protested against the Russian occupation]. 6 March 2022.
  35. ↑ ""Крим - це Україна", - мешканці Чонгару вийшли на мітинг проти окупантів" ["Crimea is Ukraine", Chongar residents came to a rally against the occupiers]. Censor.NET. 6 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  36. ↑ Бойко, Иван (7 March 2022). "Во время митинга в Новой Каховке оккупанты убили одного человека, а семь - ранили" [During a rally in Nova Kakhovka, the invaders killed one person and wounded seven]. UNIAN.NET (in Russian). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  37. ↑ На півдні України окупанти викрали ще одного мера, люди вийшли на протест - Радіо Свобода, 16.03.2022
  38. ↑ Викраденого російськими окупантами мера Скадовська відпустили - Громадське Радіо, 16.03.2022
  39. ↑ У Скадовську мешканці зняли російський триколор із міської ради. Відео 17.03.2022
  40. ↑ "Ukraine war: Kherson residents tell Russian forces to 'go home' as they confront military vehicles". Sky News. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  41. ↑ "Pro-Ukraine Rally Dispersed By Russians In Kherson After City Administration Forced Out". 27 April 2022.
  42. ↑ У Генічеську зібрався кількатисячний мітинг проти окупантів (фото, відео)-Главком, 06.03.2022
  43. ↑ У тимчасово окупованих Генічеську, Каховці та Каланчаку - масові проукраїнські мітинги - Укрінформ, 06.03.2022
  44. ↑ Чаплинка - це Україна! На мирний протест у селищі вийшли понад три тисячі осіб - RBC.ua, 07.03.2022
  45. ↑ "Херсонщина продовжує виходити на мирні мітинги проти окупантів". 8 March 2022.
  46. ↑ Жителі Голої Пристані та Олешок вийшли на мітинг проти російських окупантів (фото, відео) - Парламент.ua, 08.03.2022
  47. ↑ На Херсонщині люди вийшли на вулиці з українською символікою та патріотичними плакатами - LB.ua, 08.03.2022
  48. ↑ Двадцятий день вторгнення РФ: ситуація на Херсонщині. ТЕКСТОВА ТРАНСЛЯЦІЯ Archived 9 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine - Суспільне Новини, 15.03.2022
  49. ↑ Жителі Новотроїцького на Херсонщині вийшли на мирний мітинг Archived 9 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine - Суспільне Новини, 25.03.2022
  50. ↑ Мешканці Каховки знову вийшли на мирну акцію протесту проти російської агресії - ukrinform 27.03.2022
  51. ↑ В окупованій Каховці люди вийшли на мітинг- Українська правда, 27.03.2022
  52. ↑ Жители Голой Пристани в Херсонской области вышли на митинг. Требуют от оккупантов вернуть похищенного мэра - Hromadske 31.03.2022
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