What is happening in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian cities on May 9: a brief overview
Occupied Mariupol
In besieged Mariupol, the "DPR" occupation authorities held a festive "parade" on the occasion of Victory Day. Mariupol residents did not take part in the "parade". The adviser to the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushchenko reported about it in his the Telegram channel.
Instead of a parade, the occupiers and local collaborators staged a procession with a large black and orange (in the color of St. George's ribbon) canvas. A small group of people marched through the ruined city, chanting "Hooray!" to hundreds of deaths. They also laid flowers at the recently restored by Russian-backed separatists WWII Memorial.
In addition, there was also the "eternal fire", allegedly delivered to Mariupol from Moscow. The video records show Denis Pushilin, one of the leaders of the "DPR", lightning a torch and walking with a large St. George's flag through the streets of the ruined city.
"Russians are here. Eternal fire delivered from Moscow itself is here. The occupiers are here. Collaborators are here. The only ones who are not here are Mariupol residents. Something went wrong with the holiday,” said in the statement of the Mariupol City Council.
The day before, the occupiers were handing out St. George's ribbons to Mariupol residents, and inviting people to the May 9th celebration in the city center, while their military convoys "provided for" happy smiles and happy faces of the locals.
Kherson region
Russian media are actively sharing photo and video shots showing the so-called "Immortal Regiment" in the south of Ukraine - in Kherson, Kakhovka, and Skadovsk in particular.
Kherson on May, 9
Photos and videos show small crowds with red flags and Soviet symbols. Ukrainian activists in Kherson claimed Russia had brought in people from Crimea to bolster the numbers attending.
Besides this, in Skadovsk, the “eternal fire” was lit for the first time in 8 years, the local website Skadovsk.City reports.
Skadovsk on May, 9
"Symbolically, the Russian-appointed Gauleiter Schvayko [Svoi.Global - Serhii Shvayko, the head of the district state administration, appointed by the occupiers] gave a spark to this celebration. Currently, this builder from Russian Federation is the chairman of the occupation administration of Skadovsk,” the publication reads.
In Nova Kakhovka, a city of about 60,000 people, the Russian occupiers could not find even 50 supporters for the propaganda "picture."
Zaporizhzhia region
A commemorative "Immortal Regiment" event was also held in the occupied Energodar, Melitopol, and Berdyansk in Zaporizhzhia region. According to Russian media, thousands of residents allegedly took part in it.
During the procession, people held portraits of their relatives, who took part in World War II. Many waived the victory banners and soviet flags.
In Melitopol Russians tried to organize mass celebration but failed. There were about 3000 people on the streets, but most of them were brought from the villages, Crimea and even Luhansk.
A live broadcast of the Moscow parade was also held in Energodar. The event was broadcasted on several large screens, located on the walls of the Palace of Culture in the center of Energodar. In addition, the city was in advance prepared for the "solemn celebration", decorated with flags and banners in honor of Victory Day.
Pro-Russian media wrote that more than 10000 residents took part in the VictoryDay event in Berdyansk. In fact, russians managed to gain only 500 people. 50 of them were new employees of the occupying mayor's office, and 450 those to whom russian army promised to give aid.
