Teachers in occupied Mariupol not being paid from Ukraine’s budget - administration

The Ukrainian authorities have not been paying salary from the budget to school teachers who remain in occupied Mariupol and have not yet left the city.

This was stated at a briefing by the Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, Tetiana Sidasheva, who answered a question from an Ukrinform correspondent.

"As for the teachers who currently remain in Mariupol. First of all, in Mariupol, the educational network has been cut, and now they have seven schools working remotely (schools that were relocated to other cities of Ukraine - ed.), but we are not paying salaries to teachers in Mariupol," said Sidasheva.

She recalled that for Mariupol, the corresponding decision was made by Mayor Vadym Boychenko, and all those willing to move for any reason (from occupied Mariupol - ed.) are provided with support through the ‘I – Mariupol’ hub.

"And everything else will come after the city of Mariupol is liberated. That's when, in accordance with the legislation, all issues will be worked out," said the head of the department.

Sidasheva could not answer Ukrinform's question about the share of secondary school teachers remaining in occupied Mariupol.

She said, “I won't tell you that because principals hire and fire staff directly. Therefore, I think that it is better to reach out to the education department of the Mariupol City Council on the issue."

As reported, in the new academic year, the Russian invaders are forcing students in educational facilities of Mariupol to sing the Russian national anthem and glorify the invasion force. They also intend to engage them in the children's organization Eagles of Russia.

Russia's aggression caused a major humanitarian disasters in Mariupol. Almost 90% of the city was destroyed as a result of enemy shelling.

The invaders put on the walls of some schools in captured Mariupol the quotes by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who brought war to this seaside Ukrainian city. On November 20, many schools in the city remain without central heating.

The enemy is turning Mariupol and surrounding villages into a military logistics hub.