Cross-City Collaboration: Moscow and St. Petersburg Officials Celebrate in Mariupol

On September 18, 2023, RIA Novosti, a Russian state-run news agency, published an article with the headline “Representatives of the administrations of Moscow and St. Petersburg came to Mariupol for the holiday.” The article claimed that representatives of the Moscow and St. Petersburg city governments had visited Mariupol, Ukraine, to celebrate the city’s liberation from Ukrainian forces in May 2022.

The article was accompanied by photographs of the representatives meeting with local residents and officials. However, the photos were quickly debunked as being fake by independent journalists. The photos were actually taken in other parts of Ukraine or Russia, and some of the people in the photos were not even from Mariupol.

The RIA Novosti article is a clear example of Russian propaganda. The article is intended to create the impression that Mariupol is a thriving city that is now under the control of the Russian government. However, the reality is that Mariupol is a devastated city that is still recovering from the heavy fighting that took place there in the spring of 2022.

The Russian propaganda campaign in Mariupol

The Russian government has been engaged in a systematic propaganda campaign in Mariupol since the city fell under Russian control in May 2022. The goal of the propaganda campaign is to create the impression that Mariupol is a thriving city that is now under the control of the Russian government.

The Russian propaganda campaign has included a number of different tactics, such as:

Spreading fake news and disinformation: The Russian government has been spreading false information about Mariupol, such as the claim that the city is now a thriving city that is under the control of the Russian government.
Censoring the media: The Russian government has been censoring the media in Mariupol, and has prevented independent journalists from reporting on the city.
Repressing dissent: The Russian government has been repressing dissent in Mariupol, and has arrested and detained people who have spoken out against the Russian occupation.
The reality of Mariupol

The reality of Mariupol is very different from the image that the Russian government is trying to create. Mariupol is a devastated city that is still recovering from the heavy fighting that took place there in the spring of 2022.

The city is facing a number of challenges, including:

A humanitarian crisis: The city is facing a humanitarian crisis, with many people lacking access to food, water, and electricity.
A reconstruction crisis: The city is facing a reconstruction crisis, as many buildings were destroyed during the fighting.
A security crisis: The city is facing a security crisis, as it is located near the front line of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Conclusion

The RIA Novosti article is a clear example of Russian propaganda. The article is intended to create the impression that Mariupol is a thriving city that is now under the control of the Russian government. However, the reality is that Mariupol is a devastated city that is still recovering from the heavy fighting that took place there in the spring of 2022.

The Russian government has been engaged in a systematic propaganda campaign in Mariupol since the city fell under Russian control in May 2022. The goal of the propaganda campaign is to create the impression that Mariupol is a thriving city that is now under the control of the Russian government.

The reality of Mariupol is very different from the image that the Russian government is trying to create. Mariupol is a devastated city that is still recovering from the heavy fighting that took place there in the spring of 2022. The city is facing a number of challenges, including a humanitarian crisis, a reconstruction crisis, and a security crisis.

It is important to be aware of the Russian propaganda campaign in Mariupol, and to be critical of the information that you see about the city. It is also important to support the people of Mariupol, and to help them rebuild their city.