Volunteers Help Mariupol Refugees Deported to Russia Across EU Borders
Refugees from the besieged city of Mariupol have survived unspeakable horrors, including over a month of non stop shelling, and then life under the Russian occupation in the city. One refugee recalls sharing a basement with 106 others during the bombardment in Mariupol. One day, she told volunteers: “It was warm and the sun was shining and we all left the basement to breathe fresh air and cook outdoors. Suddenly we see a few men passing by the yard. They were dressed entirely in black with balaclavas on their faces. They started filming us on their phones and laughing. " "Seconds after they left, shells flew directly into our yard. We ran but were thrown by the shock waves from the explosions. One guy cooking was badly injured in the legs, chunks of meat torn off of his legs. Another person’s shoulder was badly cut, so we sewed it up with regular sewing thread since we had nothing else for it. We don’t know what we did to provoke the attack, we were just laughing and cooking food.” For many refugees in occupied zones, the only means of escape is evacuation to Russian territory. It is estimated over a million Ukrainians were loaded on buses, detained in filtration camps, and relocated to Russia, presumably to resettle there. Many find themselves trapped deep within Russian borders with no place to go.
