Self-proclaimed "mayor" of Mariupol Kostiantyn Ivashchenko is trying to restore his connections in Ukraine using his party "Opposition Platform – For Life" (OPZZh), the Mariupol city head's advisor Petro Andriushchenko reported.
He said that Kadyrovtsy had entered the city and replaced the so-called "police" from certain areas of the Donetsk region [CADR – tr.]. "The "state volunteers of russia" completely control the work of collaborating police officers," – Andriushchenko added.
According to him, Ivashchenko no more "goes anywhere without an "overseer" from pushylin [the head of the so-called "DPR" – tr.]".
"His ["overseer – ed."] task is – not to allow Ivashchenko to carry out political agitation in the favor of himself and the Sablin's [the russia's State Duma member Dmytro Sablin – tr.] group. Ivashchenko has already understood that his shelf life is a matter of months, if weeks. So even among his team, he started hinting that it's time to look for "escape" ways," – Andriushchenko said.
Russia, in the Mariupol head advisor's opinion, is not a safe place for the self-proclaimed "mayor". That's why he's trying to restore his connections in Ukraine through people linked to "OPZZh". "To try and play the "I was forced but I've always been a patriot" card," – Andriushchenko added.
At the beginning of April, the SSU reported on suspicion of the Mariupol city council member of "OPZZh" Kostiantyn Ivashchenko who voluntarily joined the russian invaders and whom the occupiers proclaimed "the mayor" of the city.
Also, the city council reported that the council members from "OPZZh", Ivashchenko included, had been adjusting the occupiers' fire ar Mariupol.