MANIPULATION: Russia has improved conditions in Mariupol during the years of occupation

Russian Telegram channels are spreading comparison photos of buildings in Mariupol before and after the Russian Federation’s occupation. In this way, Russians suggest that Russia has changed the city “for the better” over nearly three years of occupation.

This is manipulation. After nearly three years of occupation, the city still has many destroyed buildings, as well as problems with heating and water supply. 

The siege of Mariupol by Russian troops lasted 86 days. Russia finally occupied the city on May 21, 2022. According to Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko, during the siege the Russian army destroyed 90% of the city’s infrastructure, about 40% of which cannot be restored. A similar assessment was also provided by the UN.

One of the most tragic cases, as noted by the UN, was the Russian strike on the Drama Theater, in the basement of which about a thousand civilians were hiding. The Russian occupation administration tried to conceal this and other crimes. That is why they began the so-called “reconstruction” of the city, including the construction of apartment buildings.

In 2024, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin claimed that as of early February 2024, almost all apartment buildings in the city had been restored. However, the Mariupol City Council, as well as Mariupol residents themselves, note that some districts remain half-destroyed. This can also be seen in updated Google satellite images from 2025.

In addition, numerous investigations by Ukrainian and foreign journalists show that Russians are carrying out the so-called reconstruction using low-quality materials. Those who are settled in reconstructed or newly built housing are often Russians themselves. To encourage them to move to Mariupol, the occupation authorities have introduced a system of “preferential mortgages” in the city. In particular, people are offered apartments in reconstructed housing with a 2% mortgage rate. At the same time, as of the end of October 2025, about 2.8 thousand Mariupol residents were on the waiting list for compensation housing.

All these details indicate that in reality Russia’s “reconstruction” of Mariupol is another way for Russia to create a “picture” to conceal its own war crimes. The facts show that conditions in the city are not improving but are only worsening. Thus, in some districts of the city, there is still no petrol or heating despite the start of the heating season. The city also lacks a round-the-clock water supply, with residents receiving it once every few days.

Earlier, we also debunked a Russian fake claiming that Google Maps depicted Mariupol as whole and undamaged.