A former adviser to the mayor of Mariupol called for stopping pension payments to Ukrainians in Donbas territories seized by Russia

Former adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petro Andriushchenko, has urged Ukraine not to pay pensions to people who remained in the occupied territories of Donbas.

Andriushchenko’s statement was published by political Telegram channels.

Pensioners, he claims, use this money to “finance the Russian army,” said the head of the “Center for the Study of Occupation.” He added that in Mariupol, Melitopol, and Berdiansk life is not as difficult as in cities controlled by Ukraine because there are no massive shelling campaigns there.

“Where do these funds (Ukrainian pension payments) end up? In the Russian economy — and 40% of Russia’s budget goes to defense-industry spending,” Andriushchenko said.

It is worth noting that Ukrainian pensioners in occupied territories and abroad were supposed to undergo verification by the end of last year in order to keep receiving payments.