Occupiers in the Zaporizhzhia region have started illegal ore mining operations near Tokmak, offering high-paying jobs to migrants after local residents refused to participate.
In the Tokmak district of the Zaporizhzhia region, occupying forces have initiated open-pit mining of ore, which is being carried out illegally near the village of Vesele, just 15 kilometers from the city of Tokmak. Petro Andriushchenko, the head of the Center for the Study of Occupation and former adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, reported the development via his Telegram channel.
According to Andriushchenko, a significant amount of special equipment has been brought in for the mining operation, which is taking place in the heavily occupied region. Despite offering shift work jobs with a salary of 100,000 rubles, local residents have refused to take part in the illegal activity.
In response, the occupying forces have turned to migrants, particularly from Asian countries, to fill the labor shortage. As a result, members of the so-called “Mariupol migrant diaspora” have been relocated to Tokmak to work in the illegal mining operations. This influx of foreign workers has raised concerns among locals and human rights advocates regarding the exploitation of migrants and the long-term environmental and economic consequences of the illegal mining.
The illegal mining operation in Zaporizhzhia adds to the growing list of economic activities being undertaken by the occupying forces, which continue to exploit local resources for their own benefit while disregarding the rights and well-being of the local population.
