Half of Melitopol residents flee the city, another wave is expected – Mayor

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO - SATURDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2022, 16:44 An estimated half of Melitopol residents have left the city, and the Ukrainian resistance there is intensifying. Source: Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopol, in a comment to Ukrinform

Details: According to Fedorov, at least 70,000 people have left Melitopol - half of the city's residents.

"There is no organised evacuation, you can only evacuate by private transport. Ukrainian volunteers are helping people to leave the city," he said. According to the mayor, people are continuing to flee the city, but another wave of people wanting to leave is expected just before the start of the heating season in October.

At the same time, Fedorov added, the Ukrainian resistance has recently been stepping up its activities in the city.

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"The resistance movement has only intensified over the past month and a half," the mayor said. Fedorov also believes that the Russian invaders will not be able to hold a sham "referendum" in either October or November.

"As of today [10 September], I can't see a 'referendum' being held on either 11 September or 11 October. They [the Russians] are now discussing 4 November, but in my personal opinion, it won't happen. All sorts of things could change in two months.

We see how rapidly the Armed Forces of Ukraine are liberating our territories. So we hope that if any opinion poll is held on 4 November, it will be a poll by the Ukrainian sociology services," Fedorov emphasised. He also added that people who had previously "agreed to provide assistance" as collaborators to help organise the sham "referendum" are now contacting Ukraine, including the Ukrainian Special Services, and trying to do all they can to "help our special services and provide assistance to the Ukrainian State".

Background: Fedorov announced on 9 September that there would be no illegal Russian-sponsored sham "referendum" in the occupied territories on 11 September. It has been postponed, partly due to the lack of support for the vote on "joining" the Russian Federation. See also: Ivan Fedorov: The real hell for the Russians will begin when the Armed Forces of Ukraine approach Melitopol.

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