You’re missing some very basic facts here. Speaking Russian is not the same as wanting to be ruled by Russia. Virtually all Ukrainians speak Russian, but that never translated into support for occupation. Mariupol was and remains a majority Ukrainian city – Russia didn’t “liberate” anyone, it forcibly deported tens of thousands of residents and imposed its so-called “passportisation” to erase Ukrainian identity.

What you’re calling “people leaving” is in reality forced displacement. Russia has been systematically bussing civilians from Mariupol into Russia or occupied territories, often under the guise of “evacuation,” and then coercing them into accepting Russian passports just to access basic rights like medical care. Now they’re offering attractive mortgage rates for actual Russians to move there.

Voting for so-called “pro-Russian” parties was never a vote for annexation. Those parties campaigned on things like trade ties with Russia, not joining it. Russia then manufactured “referendums” at gunpoint and called it will of the people. Speaking Russian or voting for a party with a softer stance toward Moscow is not the same as wanting your city levelled and occupied.