[PGR88]

For example, local residents are under pressure to obtain Russian passports.

Yes, because they're Russian Citizens now.

[2banana]

Maybe they should have a vote...?

Oh wait, they did in 2014.

To leave the Ukraine overwhelming passed.

And were violently crushed by the Ukrainian military.

But...but...my Kosovo.

[DesertRhino]

How was it as Azov Nazi HQ?

[McGruff]

They should offer anyone who wants it a one way ticket to Kiev.

[Right_Wing_Madman]

locals often formed "huge queues" trying to get Russian passports.

I heard about this too. They couldn't wait to ditch their Ukrainian passports.

[Kazan]

What a load of crap. This absurd propaganda.

The truth about Mariupol:

Mariupol - War and Peace (Graham Phillips):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1I8SZeXGFo

[ganeemead]

15 Months ago, ukraine was a country of some 40M souls; now it is a pseudo-nation of some 28M souls. Exiters being interviewed on their way out have all said the same thing i.e. no way in hell are they coming back. Who the hell would want to live in a nazi shithohle whose leaders were stupid enough to start a war against Russia???

[BobL]

“So they have deliberately created a situation where you get problems if you have Ukrainian papers, you have to deal with red tape, you have to wait.”

Makes sense, they’re in Russia now. Considering the well-documented level of CORRUPTION in Ukraine, I can see why the new authorities won’t accept Ukrainian IDs as legitimate.

[sauropod]

.

[Drew68]

Russia is channelling huge amounts of money into pension payments for residents of Mariupol, raising them in many cases compared with what they received from the Ukrainian authorities before the war. So residents of Mariupol are able to draw two pensions - one from Russia, another from Ukraine. Naturally, it is a situation many local pensioners are happy with.

What a nightmare. The horror of Russian occupation.

[MalPearce]

Congratulations to all the old age pensioners and their misty eyed nostalgia for the Cold War fun of austerity under the Soviet Yoke.

They won... A passport, a bigger pension, and an age related exemption from LDPR callup. Travel is more difficult with all that rubble to get around, and many will never see their grandkids again (fled or got bombed).

Still, can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

On the bigger positive side, Russia picks up the tab for the biggest “welfare state” demographic in eastern Ukraine and skews its population charts even further toward a top heavy ageing population. No remediation of the collapsing birth rate. Young well educated people don’t want to be parents to Russia’s next generation of cannon fodder.

Winning!