Human Rights Abuse Documentation Center of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU) presents chronicles of the events of hybrid armed conflict in Ukraine in 2014-2017 using the example of several Donbas cities. In course of its monitoring visits, UHHRU’s Documentation Center collected eyewitnesses’ stories and studied open information sources and statistical data regarding serious violations of human rights, including the right to life. A series of brief analytical reports proceeds with events in Mariupol, a city in Donetsk oblast that became an outpost of resistance against Russian aggression.

MARIUPOL is being one of the largest cities in Donbas, second most populated city in Donetsk oblast, which is of strategic importance to the region and Ukraine as whole, as well as the main port in the Sea of Azov and second largest port in the country in terms of turnover, next to Odesa. Mariupol’s Sea commercial port ensures transportation of cargo to dozens of countries every year (with approximate annual cargo turnover of 15 million tons). The city is a center of industry, with Illich and Azovstal metallurgic plants, Azovmash group of companies, ship repairing yard, Elektropobutprylad, Termal and Azovelektrostal plants, and Mariupol Experimental Research Plant “Magma”; it is a strategic hub of automobile, maritime and railroad traffic. Mariupol airport, which provided for the flights to different cities of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Greece and other countries, was closed in June 2014.

From September 2014, Donetsk Oblast Civil-Military Administration had been temporarily based in Mariupol.

Executive Summary of the Report in English can be found here 

The publication was prepared and published as part of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) “Human Rights in Action” project, implemented by the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union.

The views and interpretations presented in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the Government of the United States of America. Content of the publication is solely the responsibility of the authors and the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union.