Russian security forces have started to implement document checks on local Ukrainian teenagers in occupied Mariupol, according to a June 24 report from Ukraine's Center for National Resistance.
According to the update, the checkpoints were set up to determine if teenagers are involved in the partisan movement, and to evaluate 'loyalty to Ukraine.'
Teenagers are stopped at local checkpoints to have their phones and passports searched, and are questioned about links to potential partisans.
The Mariupol resistance movement has become increasingly active, and reportedly killed four Russian military officers on June 24.
The humanitarian situation has been deteriorating in Mariupol over the past several weeks. Many civilians are unable to receive even basic medical care, as medical facilities have been co-opted to serve Russian military personnel.
On June 17, drivers of the city's municipal water supply went on strike to protest withheld wages and a worsening living standard.
Prior to the war, Mariupol had a population of half a million people and was home to Azovstal, one of Europe's largest steel factories, which was under siege until May 2022. According to UN estimates, 90% of residential buildings in Mariupol have been damaged or destroyed since the invasion began, and 350,000 people were forced to leave.
Mariupol is located in Donetsk Oblast, where Ukraine has been engaged in a counteroffensive since June 5.
Kate Tsurkan
