In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russia aims to erase the national identity of the local population. For the occupiers, it is crucial that people abandon their own national identity in favour of Russia, as this strengthens their hold on the conquered lands. However, Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories refuse to accept the “Russian world” and are determined to help the Ukrainian defence forces liberate these areas as soon as possible. One of these resistance groups is known as Zla Mavka (Evil Mavka).
Zla Mavka is an all-women resistance movement that uses non-violent methods to fight against the occupiers. It started in Melitopol (a city in southeastern Ukraine that was occupied by Russia in the first days of the full-scale invasion) in early 2023, when open resistance to the Russians became nearly impossible. The members – called mavkas — operate anonymously and don’t know each other. They put up posters and leaflets, spread accurate information to counter Russian propaganda, and do whatever they can to keep the occupiers on edge, never letting them feel secure.
Only the three co-founders of the movement know one another. For their safety, we cannot reveal their real names; instead, we’ll call them Mavka One, Mavka Two, and Mavka Three. The women shared how the resistance movement began as a joke, how they can easily spot Russians trying to infiltrate it, and what they miss the most while living under occupation.
From a kitchen joke to a resistance movement
Zla Mavka operates in occupied cities and towns both online via a chatbot-enhanced Telegram* channel and on the ground. The movement’s logo features three women, representing the founders: one in traditional Ukrainian clothing, another holding a rolling pin, and the third in modern attire. These images are deliberate — they subvert stereotypical depictions of women, turning them into symbols of female strength.
*While Ukraїner considers Telegram an unsafe platform, it remains one of the few available communication channels in the temporarily occupied territories.
The co-founders say there’s no heroic story behind the creation of the movement. The main catalyst was the presence of occupiers and Russian flags in their hometown. Each of them had already supported anti-Russia activists in Melitopol before launching their initiative. But as reprisals persisted and resistance went underground, they decided to show the Russians what defiance from Ukrainian women could look like, Mavka One explains.
“[We wanted] to show that our women are brave and strong, and we will never play nice with them here. Plus, at that time (referring to 2022-2023 — ed.), they were behaving very arrogantly toward our girls, and resistance from women really got under their skin.”
Photo source: “Zla Mavka” telegram channel.
Mavka Three recalls that the movement began as a joke in the kitchen, with one of them saying, “Why don’t we start an organisation to resist the Russian occupation?” The idea came from a sense of helplessness and anger.
“At first, it was a kind of resistance out of sheer principle. When you know that the circumstances are stronger, but you still push back.”
The women opted for a non-violent form of resistance to annoy the Russian occupiers and remind them that they weren’t welcome in Melitopol. When they started planning their activities, the Mavkas never imagined it would evolve into a large women’s movement. For safety reasons, everything began within a small circle of friends. Mavka One recalls that their first project involved distributing leaflets, which also helped them connect with like-minded people.
“We came up with drawings and messages that would really annoy [the occupiers] and spread them where they would definitely be seen. Then we decided to set up a Telegram channel to show people what we were doing and what was happening here. That’s when things really took off. Women and girls from other occupied cities started reaching out, asking us to send them our leaflets so they could do the same. We didn’t expect to hear from so many. That’s when we realised it was time to get organised and take this seriously, to establish rules, safety measures, and everything else.”
Now, the movement has followers in various Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, stretching from Donechchyna to Crimea. The Mavkas developed a Telegram bot to allow participants to communicate easily with the leaders and receive tasks. This ensures anonymous and secure communication, which, according to Mavka Three, is a top priority.
“We never ask for real names or any information that could reveal someone’s identity. Communication only happens through secure messaging apps. Plus, we constantly remind everyone about cybersecurity: clearing chats, not storing any sensitive information, and so on.”
Mavka Two adds that people in the occupied territories have learned to be cautious, as the occupiers sometimes carry out searches, checking mobile phones particularly thoroughly. That’s why the Mavkas advise their activists to use two devices if possible. If that’s not feasible, they recommend not storing anything on the device that the occupiers could use as evidence of underground activities.
This atmosphere of anonymity could potentially benefit the Russians and their security services who might seek to infiltrate the movement and expose its participants. However, according to Mavka One, they can usually identify these infiltrators quite easily.
“It’s often quite amusing. I don’t know how they were trained, but ‘comrade major’ looks ridiculous trying to pass as a girl! Our rules are set up so that the most he can get from us is a task. So let him go and draw a Ukrainian flag!”
What truly hurts the Mavkas is seeing traitors among long-time friends or even family members, says Mavka Two.
“It’s like knowing someone for half your life, only to realise they’d betray you for some perks from the occupiers.”
Resistance with a sense of humour
Mavka's 50-ruble note with the inscription \"You are in Ukraine. It's not Russia.\"
The activists take pride in all their actions, but one of their favourites is “Mavka Money”, an initiative in which they redesigned Russian ruble banknotes by adding images of Mavkas. These banknotes circulated in Melitopol, Berdyansk, Tokmak, Kakhovka, Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Yalta (Russian-occupied cities in the south of Ukraine – ed.). Over time, they were even spotted in the Kuban region of Russia. Mavka Three recalls that they didn’t have to wait long for a reaction from the occupiers.
“The first banknote was amazing. [The Russians] went wild in their channels and in the comments. Watching their reactions was hilarious. The funniest part was that the discussion only escalated when an English newspaper picked it up. Instead of brushing it off as a minor issue, they inadvertently amplified the very idea they were trying to dismiss.”
Mavka One recalls that when they successfully released the first “copy” of a ruble banknote in Melitopol, local pro-Russian channels portrayed it as an attempt to undermine the Russian banking system.
“Just imagine! We released copies of their rubles with the slogan that [Russian occupiers] are in Ukraine, and they thought we were the fools! We released a 50-ruble note, and they claimed that such a small denomination couldn’t possibly disrupt their banking system or affect the circulation of the ruble. I read it and couldn’t believe my eyes. Our latest joke at their expense ended up being labelled a serious terrorist act.”
“Mavka’s Kitchen”. Photo source: “Zla Mavka” telegram channel.
For Mavka Two, her favourite initiative was “Mavka’s Kitchen”. Initially, the women simply distributed posters warning the occupiers to be careful about what they ate or drank. Later, the activists gained access to the kitchen where the Russians dined and added a laxative to their food. They later did the same with homemade alcohol.“When the occupiers went door-to-door asking for moonshine or food, I thought, why not? I know how to cook, and if a bit of laxative ends up in the food, it happens. As for moonshine, that’s a risky business. Maybe I missed something along the way. That’s how the idea for ‘Mavka’s Kitchen’ came about. Everyone loves it.”
Now, the occupiers in Melitopol often hesitate to eat food they aren’t sure about, even if it’s just fresh fruit or vegetables.
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Part two tomorrow!
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The 1014th day of a ten-year invasion that has been going on for centuries.
One day closer to victory.
🇺🇦 HEROIAM SLAVA! 🇺🇦
by Ukrainer_UA