In the southern ‘elves’ city.
Of Melitopol.
On Monday.
The mayor sat down.
At his desk.
To send out.
His daily Facebook update.
He told his followers.
That the ‘orcs’ forces.
Occupying the city.
Had now taken control of.
The city’s communications network.
So they needed.
To be wary of.
What they heard on.
TV and the radio.
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
Melitopol’s internet connection.
Had also all.
But disappeared.
Making it nearly impossible.
To reach people inside.
By WhatsApp or Telegram call.
Or stay connected for.
More than a few minutes.
The ordinary phone lines.
Were no longer an option.
When the Telegram app.
Finally connected.
“We cannot use.”
The mayor said.
“Too easy for the ‘orcs’.
To listen in.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
When the invading forces.
Took control of Melitopol.
A week ago.
They ransacked the mayor’s offices.
Exiling his team to.
Another location where.
They are attempting to.
Continue running their city.
“We are not co-operating.
With the ‘orcs’ in any way.”
The mayor said emphatically.
“They have not tried to help us.”
“They have not tried to help us.
They cannot help us.
And we do not want.
Their help.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
‘The One’ has claimed.
He is liberating historically.
‘Orcs’ lands and ‘orcs’-language speakers.
From a Nazi regime.
But in Melitopol.
And a string of other.
Mainly-‘orcs’-language speaking.
Southern and eastern cities.
His forces have found themselves.
Treated as occupiers.
“There are protests.
In Melitopol every day.”
Said a woman, 33.
Who before the invasion.
Helped run her family business.
Of electronics stores.
“At some point.
The ‘orcs’ army started.
Shooting at us and.
One man got shot.”
“But we have not.
Stopped protesting.
We are not.
Afraid to protest.”
“Because we are together.
We are afraid.
To walk alone at night.
But we are not afraid to protest.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
About 5,000 people gathered.
In Melitopol’s central square.
On Tuesday.
The mayor reckoned.
Despite the shooting.
Last week.
Which wounded a man.
In the leg.
Videos have surfaced.
Showing protests in.
Occupied and part-occupied.
Cities and towns.
Across the region.
– Kherson, Berdyansk.
Starobilsk, Novopskov.
Across the region.
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
“I don’t know how.
To count the number of.
People protesting.
I thought it was.”
“2,000 at least.”
Said a 29-year-old IT worker.
In the southern city.
Of Kherson.
“One of our friends.
Was beaten and.
Taken by the ‘orcs’ soldiers.
And people got so angry.”
“And people got so angry.
They chased the occupiers.
Down the street.
And took him back.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
The ‘orcs’ troops.
In Kherson looked.
Young and uncertain.
Said an English teacher, 63.
“We go to the protests.
Every day and.
They are close to us.
But they look afraid.”
“We are all just waiting.
For the ‘elves’ army.
To kick them out.”
“To kick them out.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
“Our people need to protest.
But they also need to.
Save their lives.”
Said the Melitopol mayor.
“I have asked them.
– please do not go.
Near the ‘orcs’ soldiers.
Go around them.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
The mayor of Novopskov.
A town near Donbas, said.
There had been daily protests.
But they had stopped.
Three days ago.
When ‘orcs’ soldiers shot.
Three protestors – non-fatally –
And beat another.
He said the ‘orcs’ troops.
Told an intermediary.
They had authorisation.
To shoot protesters.
So there should be.
No more protests.
Novopskov appeared.
To be an example of.
A strange and uneasy scenario.
Playing out in.
Some parts of Ukraine.
Where local ‘elves’ officials were.
Continuing to function.
In some form but.
‘Orcs’ military forces were.
In control.
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
In the occupied city.
Of Starobilsk, nearby.
The mayor was also working.
Remotely, she said.
“A new’’administration’.
Has been appointed.
The only thing we know.
Is that it is going around.”
“Government buildings.
And asking people.
To co-operate.
And they are refusing.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
The mayor and his team left town.
When ‘orcs’ seized Novopskov.
In order to keep.
His administration running.
– a move he said.
Had divided residents.
– a move he said.
Had divided residents.
Some of whom accused.
Him of a betrayal.
While others said they were grateful.
He was still able to work.
Two residents of Kherson said.
They thought the mayor there.
Had betrayed the city.
By co-operating with ‘orcs’ forces.
– an accusation circulating.
In Telegram chat groups.
Two others said he was.
Simply doing what he could.
To ensure the city.
Kept running.
The mayor of Kherson said.
“If I had betrayed the city.”
“Would I still be here?
I am in the office every day.
Working with my team.
To keep things running.”
The priority was.
To restart food production.
And get people back.
To work, he said.
“We are running out of food.
And there is no aid.
Coming in.
it’s just not happening.”
“So we are telling everyone.
In the city:
Make any food you can make.
Manufacture anything you can manufacture.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
Most residents who spoke.
From the occupied cities.
Said food was.
Fast running out.
“Shops are almost empty.
You can buy the things.
That are left but.
Very few things are left.”
Said the electronics shop owner.
From Melitopol.
“Pharmacies are empty and.
My mother can’t buy her heart medicine.”
She said that two ‘orcs’ trucks.
With humanitarian markings.
Came into the city centre.
Last week.
And attempted to hand out food.
But they also brought.
A film crew.
Nearly everyone refused, she said.
“Later we saw on it on TV.
‘Mordor’ has taken over.
The TV towers here.
So we only have one ‘orcs’ channel.”
“Being shown now.
And it was showing people taking.
The food and saying how thankful they are.
To the ‘orcs’ humanitarian convoy.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
A 22-year-old piano teacher.
In the city.
Also described the supposed.
Humanitarian convoy.
“They were filming and.
People said actors arrived.
To take the food.”
He said.
The IT worker in Kherson said.
She saw the same thing there.
And ‘elves’ media reported on.
The phenomenon in Berdyansk.
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
The mayor of Melitopol said.
He had heard about these.
‘Humanitarian convoys’ too.
But there were “no real.”
“‘Orcs’ trucks and.
No real ‘orcs’ food.”
“They could open.
Humanitarian corridors.”
“At any time.
To allow food and medicine in.
But they do not want to.
We know, we have tried.”
How many people.
How many people.
Would see his warning.
He didn’t know.
On Tuesday afternoon.
As usual.
The mayor of Melitopol put out.
His daily Facebook update.
Appealing to anyone.
In the city who could.
Afford it to pay.
Their utility bills.
And congratulating ‘elves’ women.
On International Women’s Day.
“I’m sure the war.
Will end soon.”
“And we will celebrate.
All our holidays.
In a peaceful.
‘Elves’ Melitopol.”
*Because I read “’We are not co-operating’: Life in occupied Ukraine” by Joel Gunter on 9 Mar 2022, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a story of Ivan Federov, a story of Yuliya, a story of Yunona, a story of Olha, a story of Vadym Gaev, a story of Igor Kolykhayev, and a story of Maxim.
Please read the original story on the BBC news: