The journalist of the German public broadcaster ZDF, Armin Körper, who is also the head of the Moscow bureau of this media, filmed a story about "life" in Mariupol under Russian occupation.
Report of a German journalist from occupied Mariupol
In the plot, Körper claims that the film crew got into the city through the territory of the Russian Federation: he and his team needed documents from the Russian side to enter.
I would like to clearly explain that this does not mean that we recognise the city occupied by Russia, — he declares.
At the same time, he says, "Mariupol is not a ghost town; I want to make that clear."
The journalist shows the drama theatre in Mariupol, on which the Russians dropped a bomb, killing more than 600 civilians. According to him, holding performances here in Russia before the occupation was forbidden, but now "the situation has changed."
Another place where the Russian occupation is felt is education. Schools have new books, new curricula. History lessons, of course, all this is now happening according to the Russian narrative.
Körper says that the city is working: shops and restaurants, there is a heating and water supply, hot water and the Internet.
The journalist sees no resistance in the city. According to him, he got the impression that the majority in the city was pro-Russian, and those with different opinions did not talk to journalists for fear of reprisals.
If the economy, the port and so on will work here again, then people are needed. And Russia, of course, is interested in the settlement of Russians here. Now the city is being rebuilt — mainly by people from Russia and Central Asia.
After the report, ZDF notes that Armin Körper describes how Russia is trying to create the impression of normality and reconstruction with significant financial resources.
In its reporting from Ukraine, ZDF has never left any doubt that Mariupol is a territory illegally occupied by Russia, and who is the aggressor and the victim in this war.
Ukraine's MFA reaction to the ZDF plot
The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Oleg Nikolenko, is convinced that the plot of this journalist is "distorting reality" and this is not "journalism".
Moreover, ZDF Moscow bureau chief’s visit to occupied Mariupol without Ukraine's consent violated Ukrainian legislation. We call on ZDF to provide an official explanation. Violating Ukraine’s laws may impact media’s further work in Ukraine.
