There is an entire system designed to instil terror in the occupied territories – ZMINA meets with La Pulla

In the frontline of the war in Ukraine, the scars of destruction are everywhere. Homes, schools, and communities lie in ruins, and the people who remain are forced to learn how to live with pain and loss. Yet, amidst the devastation, one theme emerges clearly: resilience.

During the visit, Colombian journalist and co-creator of La Pulla, Juan Carlos Rincón, met with representatives of ZMINA, a Ukrainian human rights organization that documents war crimes and raises awareness about the daily struggles of those affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion. ZMINA’s work focuses on gathering testimonies from survivors and monitoring the situation in occupied territories, in particular the widespread persecution of the local population.

“When FSB officers come to people’s homes in the occupied territories, usually they do it at night or in the early morning. It is very hard for all families because they come with closed faces, they look like militants, and they abuse people,” ZMINA’s Project Manager, Vikroriia Nesterenko, told Juan Carlos Rincón.

ZMINA’s Head of International Crimes’ Documentation Department, Yelyzaveta Sokurenko, added that those detained face inhumane treatment and torture by electric shocks, and there are documented cases of arbitrary killings.

Russians invent charges and transfer people from one prison to another, so it’s harder to keep track of them. The journalist also had the opportunity to speak with Leniie Umerova, a released political prisoner from Crimea, a territory invaded by Russia in 2014: “Russian authorities kidnapped me, detained me for 5 months, and then they told me that I am a Ukrainian spy.“

There is an entire system designed to instil terror and to sever people’s ties with Ukraine. In the occupied territories, they are forbidden to speak Ukrainian. They are forbidden to listen to Ukrainian music. They are even forced to obtain Russian passports. And if they don’t, then they cannot access healthcare services and other basic necessities. There is a very strong effort of ideological control.

Source: La Pulla