Russia in 2025 stepped up the use of the occupied Mariupol seaport, presenting it as a “restoration.” In reality, this is about the illegal appropriation of Ukrainian infrastructure and its integration into the logistics system of the aggressor state.
At the same time, the Russians are replacing Ukrainian standards with Russian ones, erasing Ukrainian jurisdiction. The decision to open the port to foreign vessels is an attempt to create an illusion of “legality” and to circumvent sanctions. Plans to deepen the channel and expand cargo handling confirm the intention to turn Mariupol into a key logistics hub for the temporarily occupied territories.
Against this backdrop, the social situation is rapidly deteriorating. School meal programs in the city have been suspended due to a lack of funding from the Russian authorities. Residents have been waiting for years for promised housing: instead of compensation for destroyed homes, expensive mortgage high-rise buildings are being constructed that are unaffordable for Mariupol residents. In parallel, a legally simplified mechanism for the seizure of “ownerless” housing is in effect—apartments are being mass-confiscated from owners who were killed, fled, or lost their documents.
In addition, the city is being used as a military training ground for preparing Russian personnel. To all appeals and complaints from residents, there is only one response: “wait.”
For Russia, Mariupol is not a city or a community, but a trophy and expendable material. Under the cover of propaganda about “restoration,” Russia demonstrates a complete degradation of state policy, based on contempt for human life, cynical exploitation of seized territories, and a deliberate disregard for international law.
