Mariupol residents without housing face threats for contacting Putin
Residents of Mariupol who lost their homes due to the war are facing persecution for attempting to send messages to Putin’s “Direct Line.” Their videos and SMS messages are blocked on the site, and the individuals themselves are labeled as “extremists” and detained when crossing the border into Rostov region. Similar cases have been reported among many Mariupol residents trying to use official feedback channels, according to Russian media.
Anna Huzevska, a Mariupol resident and mother of several children, said that the Donbas postal service has not been working since November 19, and local mobile operators deliberately delay SMS messages needed for registration on the “Direct Line” site, making it impossible to send video messages.
“They issued me a warning for ‘extremist’ activity and marked my name. Because of this, I am detained for several hours every time I cross the border between the occupied territories and Rostov region,” Huzevska said.
Other Mariupol residents who tried to contact Putin report similar issues. One of them noted, “Our further actions—organizing gatherings, protests, etc.—can be considered administrative offenses, and sometimes more serious violations depending on the situation.”
Thus, people left homeless after the war find themselves in a situation where attempting to use official communication channels with the Russian authorities becomes a serious personal risk.
