Putin Signs Decree to Intensify Russification Efforts in Occupied Ukrainian Territories

On November 25, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed a decree directing authorities to intensify efforts to build Russian identity and increase the use of the Russian language in areas of Ukraine currently under occupation.

According to British Defence Intelligence on November 27, this directive is part of Russia’s broader strategy to cement its control over these territories and suppress Ukrainian culture, identity, and sovereignty.

The decree was unveiled in the “Strategy of Russia’s National Policy in the Period to 2036,” which outlines a continued policy of Russification in Ukrainian regions under Russian control. The strategy aims to impose Russian language, identity, and culture on the residents of these territories, marking a further attempt to eliminate Ukrainian cultural heritage and autonomy.

“Russia now considers both occupied and unoccupied Ukrainian territories in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson regions, as well as Crimea, as part of the Russian Federation,” the statement read.

As reported by Defence Intelligence, this move contradicts Russia’s own formal recognition of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The decree's reference to these regions as “historical territories of the Russian state” highlights the imperialist undertones of Russia’s ongoing efforts to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and incorporate Ukrainian territory into its broader political ambitions.

Earlier, Russia unveiled plans to relocate at least 5 million people, presumably from Russia, into the territories it occupies in Ukraine by 2030. This bold initiative was reportedly discussed during the “Integration-2025” forum held in Rostov-on-Don in early April 2025.

The objective is to boost the population of the occupied Ukrainian regions—excluding Crimea—to 10 million by the target year, even though current population estimates are under 5 million.

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