2022 protests in Russian-occupied Ukraine

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting Russian occupation of multiple Ukrainian towns and cities, numerous cases of non-violent resistance against the occupation took place. Local residents organised protests against the Russian invasion and blocked the movement of Russian military equipment, in response to which the Russian military opened warning shots and, according to locals, killed and wounded several protesters, which may be considered a war crime.

''Human Rights Watch'' reported that citizens, protesters, journalists, activists, volunteers, officials, civil servants, and prisoners of war were tortured in occupied Ukrainian south.

Timeline

North

On 25 February, the city of Konotop was surrounded by Russian troops. On 2 March, at a gathering of city residents, the city's mayor Artem Semenikhin (from political party Svoboda) said that the Russian military was threatening to shell the city in case of disobedience, and offered to resist. His proposal was followed by a standing ovation from the crowd.

There were protests in Slavutych on 26 of March, as the Battle of Slavutych escalated, with Russians attempting to occupy the city. According to reports, Russian troops had abducted the mayor of Slavutych, Yuri Fomichev; he was ultimately released in time to address a protest rally against the Russian invasion which took place later that day in the city square. More than 5,000 city residents took part in the peaceful protest, until it was disrupted by Russian troops firing warning shots and launching stun grenades into the crowd. At least one civilian was injured.

South: Zaporizhzhia

On 27 February, in Dniprorudne, residents with the mayor blocked roads to stop Russian troops.

On 28 February, in Berdyansk, when Russian troops have been already in town, residents organised a protest after which Russians removed their technique from city center.
Similar rallies often repeated. On 20 March Russian troops opened warning shots threatening the protesters and repressed a demonstration.

During 1–2 March thousands of residents of Energodar blocked the city entrance for Russian convoys of military technique.
On 20 March, the rally against kidnapping residents and officials by Russian troops took place in the city.
On 2 April, Russian troops violently dispersed rally with explosions.

On 1 March, in Melitopol, local residents organised a protest rally during which they marched along the avenue from Victory Square to the SBU building, occupied by the Russian military. According to the online local publication ''Our City'', "unable to withstand the pressure utside the building Russian soldiers opened fire, first in the air, and then on the townspeople" and "one person received a gunshot wound in the knee". According to the BBC News Ukrainian Service, local residents organised a peaceful protest under Ukrainian flags and accused Russian soldiers of shelling and looting shops. As of 10 March, processions through the Melitopol city center were repeating daily.

From 2 March regular actions were held in Prymorsk

On 2 March, near the village of Vodyanoye in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, local residents blocked the road for Russian troops. Negotiations were held between the mayor of Vodyanoye and the mayor of the neighbouring village of Kamenka with a representative of the Russian side, who said that if the military convoy passes peacefully through the settlement to its destination, no one would be hurt; residents did not accept this offer. According to the mayor of nearby Enerhodar, at around 15:30 local time, Russian troops opened fire on the protesters, injuring two of them.

On 7 March, there were protests in Tokmak.

East

On 1 March, in Kupyansk of the Kharkiv oblast, the Russian army dispersed demonstrations.

In Starobilsk, civilians blocked roads for Russian military forces. On 6 March, locals replaced the flag of the LPR raised by Russian troops near the local government building with the Ukrainian flag.

On 4 March, after the occupation of Novopskov in the Luhansk Oblast by Russian troops, local residents protested under Ukrainian flags. According to ''Ukrayinska Pravda'', citing locals, one person was injured as a result of shooting at protesters. On 5 March, the local residents protested again against the Russian occupation and warning shots were again opened on them; according to the head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration, Serhiy Haidai, three locals were injured.

On 6 March, there were protests in Novotroitske of Luhansk oblast.

South: Kherson

On 5 March, residents of Kherson went to a rally with Ukrainian flags and chanted that the city is still Ukrainian and will never be Russian, despite Russian occupation. The Russian military opened warning fire on the protesters. At the same time, the National Police of Ukraine published a video where a Kherson police officer, holding a Ukrainian flag in his hands, jumped on a Russian armored personnel carrier that was driving past the rally, and local residents supported his action with shouts and applause.

On 6 March, there were protests in Chonhar under the flags of Crimean Tatars.

On 6 March, during a rally in Nova Kakhovka, the Russian military opened fire on protesters indiscriminately "despite the fact that people were unarmed and did not pose any threat," resulting in at least one death and seven injuries. On 7 March, the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine, according to the Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war, associated with premeditated murder), opened a criminal case on the death of several protesters.

On 16 March, there was a rally in Skadovsk against the of kidnapping of the mayor In the city, civilians removed Russian flags at the government building.

On 20 March, protesters in Kherson confronted several Russian military vehicles and told them to "go home". On 27 April, the city council representatives were forced out, and a pro-Ukrainian protest was dispersed.

In March, there were demonstrations in: Oleshky, Genichesk, Kakhovka, Hola Prystan, Zaliznyi Port, Novotroitske, Chaplynka, and other cities in the Kherson oblast.Жители Голой Пристани в Херсонской области вышли на митинг. Требуют от оккупантов вернуть похищенного мэра
- Hromadske 31.03.2022

See also

* Ukrainian resistance during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
* 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
* Occupied territories of Ukraine
* Russian-occupied territories

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ukraine anti-war protests, 2022
2022 protests
2022 in Ukraine
Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Protests in Ukraine
Opposition to Vladimir Putin
February 2022 events in Ukraine
March 2022 events in Ukraine
Articles containing video clips
Resistance during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine