When Russian forces arrived in the southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol in February, they were met with stiff resistance from residents.
Locals tried to block armoured vehicles, and people waved Ukrainian flags as Russian troops rolled in to occupy the city.
When the troops started to crack down on the protestors, the resistance movement evolved and new groups emerged.
From 20 March to 12 April, these “partisans eliminated 70 Russian soldiers during their night patrol,” Ukraine’s military Intelligence Directorate reported.
These groups are still active – last week, a Russian armoured train was reportedly derailed. Two Russian soldiers were found dead in the street days earlier.
Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, says these attacks were organised by partisan groups. “It’s the job of our partisans, our secret services and our soldiers. They do this job together,” he tells the BBC.
In response, the Russians are desperately trying to crush all resistance. They are searching houses and detaining people, residents say, often at random.
These resistance groups, however, are only a small part of the movement.
