The so-called leader of the "DNR", Denis Pushilin, believes that the population of the occupied Mariupol is approaching the levels of 2022, that is, before the russian invasion of Ukraine. He stated this in an interview on a russian propaganda TV channel.
"We can see now that Mariupol is very close to the population figures that existed before the hostilities", - he said without explaining the source of the figures mentioned.
He did not rule out that in the near future, against the backdrop of reconstruction work in the occupied city, the population will exceed pre-war levels.
The head of the "DNR" did not specify that the influx of population to Mariupol is in no way related to the return of local residents. The coastal city is actively being populated by residents from depressed regions of russia and migrants from Central Asia.