Russia Blocks Access to Essential Medications in Occupied Ukraine Amid Forced Passportization

According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russian authorities have prohibited the sale of essential medications, including insulin and thyroid treatments, to individuals without Russian passports in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

The restriction is reportedly part of an ongoing effort to enforce forced passportization. In addition to medication restrictions, starting in February 2025, occupation authorities have also banned access to medical care for those who refuse to obtain Russian citizenship.

Furthermore, pension payments to elderly individuals without Russian passports have been discontinued since the beginning of the year. Ukrainian intelligence also reports that those avoiding interaction with occupation authorities face threats of deportation to remote regions of Russia.

Earlier, Russia’s Interior Ministry claimed to have issued 2.2 million passports in the occupied regions of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk since October 2022. According to the Ukraine Conflict Observatory, residents in these areas have faced pressure, including threats, restrictions on aid, and risk of deportation, to accept Russian citizenship. A 2023 decree mandated that residents apply for Russian passports by summer 2024 or face severe penalties.

On July 4, Ukraine’s National Resistance Center reported that occupation authorities are threatening residents without Russian passports with deportation.