Ukrainian resistance in the Russian-occupied towns of Melitopol, Kherson, and Tokmak has evolved from printed flyers to vigilante killings of soldiers, local authorities are reporting.
The three southern municipalities have been under occupation for nearly two months and Russian-installed loyalist governments have imported Russian military police forces.
Daily protests in Melitopol, in the Zaporizhya region, began shortly after Russian forces arrived, with demonstrations in the town's square occurring for weeks. Russian forces initially used tear gas to disperse the crowds but then altered to night tactics, according local social media reports, abducting and arresting locals, including Mayor Ivan Fedorov.
Fedorov was released a few days after, but local resistance also changed, resorting to night operations.
Images and videos began to appear on social media as early as April 1, with handbills following shortly thereafter, covering the city in basic printouts that simply said "Melitopol is Ukraine."
Other flyers were more targeted and threatening, Zaporizhya Regional Military Administration noted in a Telegram post on April 22.
"Melitopol locals are locating cars and military vehicles that belong to Russians and are sticking leaflets that read 'Pay attention, Russian invader. Melitopol is in Ukraine. Every citizen of the town is a partisan. Watch your back,'" according to the post.
Ukraine's Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense reported some of the threats in Melitopol turned deadly.
"Between March 20 and April 12, we've established that at least 70 Russian soldiers on night patrol were killed. Some of them were from the elite forces of Ramzan Kadyrov. The most common causes of death are stabbing and gunshot wounds" read the statement.
The ministry claims that the murders are the work of Ukrainian resistance and that the Russian occupational forces have not identified the killers.
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