Silent resistance and acts of fear

One fifth of Ukraine is under Russian control and the occupied Ukrainians seem a little chance for any future agreement to end the war.

Three Ukrainians in various Russian-controlled cities, the Russian passport told the BBC that risking the risks of implementing small resistance acts. We do not use their real names for their safety and call them Mavka, Pavlo and IRYNA.

Potential threats are the same, as well as in Mariupol or Melitopol, in 2022 or in the full-scale occupation of Crimea or eight years ago.

Mavka, Russians chose to stay in Meloophol when he occupied the city on February 25, 2022, “Because someone is unfair to come to my house and leave.”

He has lived in the middle between the Crimean Peninsula and the regional capital Zaporizhzhia.

In recent months, he noted only a serious policy of the “Russian” in the city, but expanding the growing militarization of all areas of life, including schools.

The pictures of a board calling for young local residents, a school notebook of Putin’s portrait and photographs and photographs and photos and photos and students of Russian military uniforms – and performed their videos of Russian military units – and military educational tasks.

Mariupol, who is closer to 200 km (125 miles) and closer to the Russian border of the Azov Sea, is as if “cut” from Pavlo.

The main port of Ukraine’s steel industry and the center was arrested in 2022 after a destructive siege and bombing.

Pavlo says Russian citizenship is now compulsory if you want to work or read or read or provide emergency medical care.

“If one has a child, let’s say that in the morning, he refuses to read the Russian anthem in the school, the FSB (Russia’s security service) will visit his parents, and there may be a pen” and then something. “

Pavlo saved the siege, despite being shot six times, including his head.

Now he healed, he feels that he could not leave his elderly relatives.

“Most of the rest of the remaining or returned in Mariupol, they did to help their older parents or sick grandparents or for their apartments,” he said, “he would not sound after the phone after midnight.

Most attention in Mariupol leads to your home, because most of the property damaged in the Russian bombing has been demolished and the value of living and unemployment increased.

“I would say that 95% of all talks in the city are about property: how to return it, how will it sell.

Vladimir Putin is under the occupation of Crimea if the Azerbaijani war in Ukraine began in 2014.

IRYNA also decided to take care of an elderly relative, but also because he did not want to leave his beautiful house.

All the signs of Ukraine’s identity have been banned and IRYNA says he cannot speak to the public again, because you do not know who will not explain the government. “

Children in the nursery in the Crimean are said to sing the Russian anthem every morning and even the youngest. All teachers are in Russian, most of the soldiers who moved from Russia.

Iryna sometimes puts on a traditional, patterned Vyshyvanka When you call a video with your friends elsewhere in the peninsula.

“This helps to keep our souls at a high level, reminded us of our happy life before the occupation.”

But the risks are high, even wearing a vyshyvanka. “They can’t hit you right away, but then you can disappear silently,” he said.

Asked by a friend of Ukraine, he was questioned by police, because in 2014, Russian neighbors, who came to Crimea, said he was illegal. “Of course, they did not. Fortunately let him go to the end, but it is so scary.”

IRYNA complains that he can not be for coffee, “because the solders can point to you and can command you or order something offensive.”

Resistance is dangerous in the occupied city of Ukraine and often comes to small obedience acts reminiscent of residents who are not alone.

Melitopold speaks of being part of a secret woman’s resistance movement called Mavka Zla Mavka (Angry Mavs) “We not say that the people of Ukrainians did not agree with the occupation, and we will not tolerate it.”

The network consists of women and girls in “very occupied cities”.

Mavka describes the role of the network to occupy its social media accounts under occupation and occupying its role and “other Ukrainians are not only alone”, even the placement of Ukrainian characters or leaflets to remind you of risky experiences.

“Sometimes we also say good goods for Russian soldiers, as a ‘nice package’.

The penalty for such a movement that BBC could not check would be severe.

Russia’s occupied bodies are treated by the Mavke to behave as an extremist of Ukrainian language or Ukraine.

Ukrainians, 27-year-old journalist Victoria Roshchyna is aware of what happened It disappeared while studying the allegations of torture prisons Eastern in Ukraine in 2023.

The Russian authorities said he died in prison in September 2024. The body was returned before several bodies in the beginning of this month and signs of torture.

Silent missing Mavka is the most fearful thing: “When someone suddenly can’t find what you are or you can find what happened to you.”

His network collected a number of tasks for new compounds to prevent infiltration and has been able to avoid cyber attacks so far.

Now they are waiting and watch: “We can’t take weapons and now fight the occupier, but at least the Ukrainian region will be here and will be here.”

Melitopol and others are closely following what happened in Kiev, because Kyiv is important to know whether to fight for us.

“Here you have a rollercoaster of hospitals. Many people who have worried about the fact that God occupies us for a longer term. Because Russia know what to do here.”

Concerns for people and close to him, Kiev agrees to the ceasefire, it means to delete the same policy in Russia, delete Ukrainian identity and repress the population.

“The local residents have already replaced the people with their people. But here are still hopeful, we will continue our resistance, we must just be more creative.”

Unlike Mavka, Pavlo believes that the war is to lose its ability to return to Ukraine, the war should be over.

“Human life is the greatest value … but there are certain conditions for the ceasefire, and everyone can agree with them because they can’t agree to them, why are they dead and betrayed for the last three years?”

Pavlo is even careful not to talk even with an encrypted line, but adds: “I do not envy anyone involved in this decision process. It will not be simple, black and white.”

IRYNA grew up in Crimea attraction at the violence, and this says Russia copying his fathers returning from Ukraine.

I showed me the bandage cat and said that a child on the street hit a rubber bullet.

“It was fun for them. These children teach you to build peace, they are taught to fight. It breaks my heart.”