The Kyiv Independent’s Yuliia Taradiuk speaks with Artem Kariakin, a Ukrainian from Luhansk Oblast who spent eight years living under Russian occupation and covertly resisting it before escaping and joining the Ukrainian military. He explains how Russia established control in occupied territories, from early violence and propaganda to economic struggles and forced mobilization. The conversation also explores how occupation systems evolve over time, why resistance has become far more dangerous