“Mariupol blockade”: a petition for a new status for victims of the city’s siege has appeared
4 August 2025 19:50
ANALYSIS FROM 
One of the residents of Mariupol published a petition on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers, in which he proposes to introduce a special status for residents of Mariupol who survived the blockade of the city from March to May 2022 – “Blockade of Mariupol“. What is the author’s goal and how realistic is the implementation of this idea?
According to the author of the petition, freestyle wrestling coach and volunteer Yevhen Tuzov, Mariupol, a city that used to be the pearl of the Azov Sea region, turned into a hell on earth in March, April and May 2022, witnessing some of the most horrific crimes against humanity in modern history. This is genocide. But this is not just a chronicle of events – it is a cry of pain engraved in memory.
The city plunged into the Middle Ages. Lack of electricity, gas, water, and heating became commonplace. People melted snow to get drinking water, cooked on fires right on the streets, risking their lives under incessant shelling. Hunger and cold became no less terrible enemies than Russian shells. Medical care has practically disappeared. Hospitals were destroyed, and doctors worked in inhumane conditions, often operating without light and anesthesia. The streets of the city were filled with corpses with no one to bury them. People buried their relatives right in their yards, under fire, and sometimes just left the bodies because it was impossible to take them out. The smell of burning, smoke and death hung in the air,” the author of the petition said.
Status with privileges
That is why the author proposes to initiate the submission to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the draft law “On the status of the blockade of Mariupol“, which he has developed, the purpose of which is to
legislative definition of the term “blockade of Mariupol” and the circle of persons who fall under its scope;
- establishing the legal status of these persons as a basis for receiving special state social support measures;
- determining the procedure for confirming such status and establishing a competent body (commission) to review relevant applications;
- guaranteeing the provision of medical, psychological, material assistance, housing, employment, education, preferential transportation, out-of-turn service and other social guarantees provided for by the draft law to persons with the status of Mariupol blockade. It also includes one-time financial assistance and monthly payments;
- identify sources of funding and mechanisms for implementing the provisions of the draft law.
- ensure support for the draft law as an urgent one, taking into account the humanitarian significance of the issue and the need to urgently protect the rights and legitimate interests of Ukrainian citizens affected by the blockade of Mariupol.
According to the author himself, he tried several times in vain to register this petition on the President’s website, but was denied. Only the Cabinet of Ministers posted it. According to the author, it concerns everyone who was in Mariupol during those terrible months.
These are not only local citizens who lived in the city, but also guests of the city, foreigners, and the military. Everyone who was under siege at that time. Our goal is for everyone who was there to receive this status. This is the first step towards recognizing that there was genocide in Mariupol. And this is very important, first of all, for all Ukrainians,” said Yevhen Tuzov.
“There are about 23 thousand signatures to be collected and a little over 80 days left before the bill is considered and responded to.
All those who survived the occupation should become blockaders
The only officially recognized blockade survivors in the world are the residents of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) who survived the blockade from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944, which was 872 days of complete isolation of the city.
The blockade survivors include:
- those who stayed in the city for at least 4 months (including children),
- temporary evacuees who lived there for part of the blockade,
- employees of defense facilities during this period.
They still have benefits: monthly payments (2,000-3,000 rubles), a 50% discount on housing and communal services, free transportation, medicines, communication benefits, tax discounts, etc.
If you look at it, the status of “blockade runner” was applied exclusively in the USSR and is still in effect in the Russian Federation. It is legally possible to create such a status, but it will require time, resources, and political support, as it will not only require a separate law, but also changes to other regulations. In addition, it will be necessary to clearly define who is considered a blockade runner and how many days the citizen in question should have spent in the blockade. It is also necessary to understand how to confirm the fact of staying in Mariupol: through certificates, documents or witnesses?
Lawyers also emphasize that we should not forget that this will require funding from the state budget.
But most importantly, the principle of social justice must be observed. After all, there are already questions from residents of Bucha, Irpin, Kherson and other cities that were under occupation, under the same blockade – they are no worse than Mariupol residents. A more balanced option would be a nationwide status for all those affected by the full-scale invasion. After all, Ukraine already has a special status of “child of war” and others, which indicates the possibility of a legal solution to this issue, if there is political will,” notes
[Kommersant] lawyer Valentyn Serkov notes in his commentary to "Komersant Ukrainian".
“The main obstacle is that the status provides for benefits and payments, and the state is already facing financial constraints. There is a risk that even if the law is passed, it will not work due to lack of funds. After all, if the status of a blockade-runner is granted, it should be not only for Mariupol residents, but for all victims of the war, even since 2014, lawyers emphasize.
Author – Alla Dunina
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