Nick, 17, Mariupol

Yes, he did live through it

Fighting in Mariupol was at the center of reporting from the Ukraine war in spring 2022. However, 17-year-old Nick's and other inhabitants' understanding of what happened to them differs radically from that of the Western mainstream. To those of us who saw Patrick Lancaster’s and other alternative reporting that will come as no surprise. For the rest of you, do take a good listen to what Nick has to say.

You can also check out his Youtube channel "Videos from Mariupol" where he regularly posts footage of the reconstruction that is taking place.

And yes, before you attack me for having interviewed a minor, I did ask Nick to clear this with a parent before I published. And as for the unorthodox video layout, I had to improvise when Zoom didn’t work for us. Zoom says that for “regulatory reasons” people in the Donbass and Crimea are unable to access its services. Throughout this war, our mainstream media have also denied them a direct voice. So, if you haven’t already - just play the video.