Proxy officials in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast have set up cell towers to eavesdrop on residents and search for "dissidents," exiled mayor Ivan Fedorov reported on Sept. 10.
Fedorov said that two of the newly-built towers are located near a hospital and a school.
While the situation in Russian-occupied territories is difficult to understand since Ukraine does not have an access to those areas, exiled officials, such as Fedorov, usually have contacts in the occupied hometown, from whom they receive information.
According to Fedorov, the Russians are "keeping a close eye on the 'dissidents,'" having also installed surveillance cameras across the city.
The report comes as voting is underway for sham "regional elections" in occupied Ukrainian territories, including Melitopol, as Russia seeks to consolidate its control over these regions.
The illegal so-called elections in the occupied territories are being held nearly a year after Russia held sham annexation referendums in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk, and Donetsk oblasts, which Moscow only partially controls.
The so-called voting began on Aug. 31 and is scheduled to end on Sept. 10.
Alexander Khrebet
