Thread by @mattia_n

It is difficult to keep track of the developments in the occupied territory. Here are observations from the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which I like many others monitor closely. A thread 🧵 /1

The general trend remains the same: locals remain defiant and continue to protest nearly daily in cities in the Kherson and Zaporizhia region. Meanwhile, the occupation forces become more brutal and we hear of more abductions on a daily basis. /2

https://twitter.com/mattia_n/status/1506542247369654276?s=20&t=32u4Jatk-xKyxUzJ4jSVWg

Before we get to the detention: in the past days, we hear more news of the ongoing "Russification". Across the occupied territories, Ukrainian books are confiscated and destroyed. Moreover, Russian was introduced as the local language in some places. /3

https://twitter.com/mattia_n/status/1507040966703730694?s=20&t=32u4Jatk-xKyxUzJ4jSVWg

As I discussed with @BBCNews in this piece, the numbers of detentions we know about (the UN verified 36 cases in #Ukraine) are likely lower than the actual detentions. I believe we are seeing only the beginning of a more sustained campaign. /4
bbc.com/news/world-eur…

Many have asked me and others whether there is ONE central registry of missing persons and the answer is no.

The city of Kherson i.e. just launched a portal so that citizens can file missing persons. We are only slowly learning about the real numbers. /5

https://twitter.com/mattia_n/status/1507021401181491206?s=20&t=Lwe5gj6BuCvp8Qr74fMEGw

Many of the abductions are raised through colleagues, family, and friends of the abducted. They feel that it is important to raise attention to individual cases.

Some people like Oleksandr Kniga are detained and released shortly afterward. /6

https://twitter.com/mattia_n/status/1506626374144040960?s=20&t=Lwe5gj6BuCvp8Qr74fMEGw

So, who is targeted? For now three weeks, Russians are targeting local officials, elected councilors, journalists, activists, priests, businessmen, or random civilians some targeted some randomly picked up. Even relatives of journalists are targted. /7

https://twitter.com/AKurkov/status/1506620167853416451?s=20&t=Lwe5gj6BuCvp8Qr74fMEGw

The Russians are targeting and intimidating those who oppose the occupation.

But the vast majority of the local population is against the Russians. So, will they arrest everyone? So far, they rather pick and chose some to send messages to the communities. /8

Today, for instance, we learned that the Russian occupation forces raided the house of Katya Handziuk, a Kherson activist who was killed in 2018. Locals see that as a clear sign of intimidation to her family and others. /9

https://twitter.com/mattia_n/status/1507275567602843663?s=20&t=Lwe5gj6BuCvp8Qr74fMEGw

The warnings are all there! Recently, the Americans warned us of Russian lists for detainees and targets to be killed.

A recent FSB whistleblower confirms this fear and warns of an extended campaign of "great terror" in the occupied territories. /10

https://twitter.com/mattia_n/status/1507091695468519433?s=20&t=Lwe5gj6BuCvp8Qr74fMEGw

Just today, we learned about four (!) new detentions.

In Kherson, on 22 March, the Russians abducted Dmitry Afanasyev, a deputy of the Korabelnyi District Council, head of the European Solidarity faction, and a Taekwondo athlete. /11

Source:
facebook.com/photo.php?fbid…

In Chernihiv (northern Ukraine), the Russian occupation forces abducted Alexander Medvedev, the head of the Snov territorial community, and Grigory Bozhko, a businessman and former regional council deputy. /12

https://twitter.com/mattia_n/status/1507288749427863553?s=20&t=Lwe5gj6BuCvp8Qr74fMEGw

This afternoon, we learned that Dmitry Takadzhi, the head of the village of Nyzhni Sirohozy (5,000 inhabitants) in the Kherson region, disappeared. A night before, he announced that he feels forced to resign and feels unable to continue to work. /13
pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2022/…

Earlier this week, we learned that the Russian military abducted Alexander Ponomarev, a 🇺🇦 MP, who locals call the "shadow master of Berdyansk". His case is an example powerful member of the local elite, who refused to cooperate with the Russians. /14
radiosvoboda.org/a/novyny-pryaz…

I highly recommend the longer read about Alexander Ponomarev, who is a local businessman and power broker, of the pro-Russian Opposition Plattform for Life. Ponomarev is a symbol of the local elite that the Russians should have won over but failed. /15

Now, let's zoom out a bit and ask how are the communities handling the pressure by the occupation forces? The vast majority of mayors and councilors categorically refuse to cooperate. An increasing number is being ousted and replaced by loyal puppets. /16

Take Berdyansk, a city of 115,000. A man called Alexander Saulenko said that he now serves as mayor and announced the complete removal of the local government including the elected mayor due to their unwillingness to cooperate with the occupation forces. /17

A former deputy of the Berdyansk district council (which was dissolved earlier) Viktor Dudukalov said that Saulenko is practically unknown in the city: "No one really knows who it is". /18

Olena Bodasyuk, a deputy of the Zaporizhzhya City Council, told Radio Svoboda that despite the appearance of the self-proclaimed mayor of Berdyansk, the livelihoods of the city continue to be ensured by Oleksandr Svidlo, the legitimate acting mayor. /19
radiosvoboda.org/a/novyny-pryaz…

In Melitopol, the Russian forces put Galina Danilchenko, a member of the Melitopol city council, in charge of the city. Locals describe her as a political lightweight. She can not even walk down the street without armed security forces because locals throw stones at her. /20

On March 24, we also learned that the majority of councilors of the Enerhodar district council (all fractions) resigned. /21

https://twitter.com/mattia_n/status/1507021401181491206?s=20&t=Lwe5gj6BuCvp8Qr74fMEGw

In summary, local mayors and council members refuse to cooperate, face pressure, threats, and some are abducted. Then, some are replaced by fringe forces the Russians find but locals totally do not accept. /22

All of that happens while locals in the occupied south and southeast regularly flock to the streets to protest and the Russians continue their brutal crackdowns.
We see an increase in violence and it will be important to monitor this weekend's protest. /23

Long story short, Russians failed to win over ANY meaningful local support or collaborators and continue to double down on the only tactic they know and we saw in Crimea and the Donbas (as well as at home): massive repressions. We will see much more of it going forward /end

PS: Another fresh example of locals refusing to cooperate with the Russians comes from the village of Kirillovka, in the Zaporizhzhia region. Today, the Russian military arrived and offered the authorities cooperation, but was told off by the mayor.
pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2022/…