Ukrainians Face Property Seizures and Forced Russian Passports Under Occupation

In Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, residents are being coerced into obtaining Russian passports and re-registering their properties under Russian law, often losing their homes in the process.

Due to stringent filtration processes at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, Ukrainians struggle to return to occupied territories or sell their properties. These processes involve extensive fingerprinting, phone checks, and interviews. Even after successful filtration, property owners often face denial at checkpoints if deemed to own valuable properties.

Petro Andriushchenko, adviser to the legitimate mayor of Mariupol, reports that since March 2024, Russian efforts to seize Ukrainian homes have intensified. The process involves labeling properties as ownerless, nationalizing them, and reallocating them to Russian military personnel and public servants. Property owners must obtain a Russian passport and confirm ownership in person, a difficult task for those who lost documents during the Russian invasion.

Andriushchenko explained that this scheme aims to complete the process by year-end, relocating 1,000-1,200 apartments per quarter to fully Russify occupied territories. Even those who re-register their properties can face re-nationalization based on accusations from collaborators.

In Kherson Region, the occupation administration reallocates vacant homes to incoming specialists. “We offer free housing to incoming specialists,” said Pavlo Filipchuk, the Russian-appointed governor of Kakhovka Municipal District.

However, staying in occupied territories doesn’t guarantee property rights. Tetyana Trofymchuk from Donetsk discovered her apartment had been “under arrest” since September 2022 due to a law by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic. “I inherited it after my mother’s death, I have all the documents confirming ownership. Why am I not the owner?” she questioned.

Denis Kazansky, a Ukrainian blogger and journalist, highlighted the widespread nature of these seizures. “They’ve stolen at least 200,000 apartments this way, possibly more than 300,000,” he said, describing the situation as large-scale robbery.

Many residents are too frightened to confront the occupation authorities, while others have chosen to collaborate. Kateryna, a 44-year-old from Novotroitske in Kherson Region, discovered strangers living in her apartment. “My friends called me and said, 'Katya, someone is living in your apartment,” she recounted. Kateryna believes her neighbors, collaborating with the Russian administration, denounced her because her son serves in Ukraine’s armed forces.

When Kateryna confronted an acquaintance about the situation, he replied, “You left.” She tearfully retorted, “I left because of Russia’s war, and now they claim I abandoned my home.”

In response, Ukrainian MPs voted in June 2024 to compensate for destroyed properties in occupied territories. Internally displaced people must register their losses with the International Register of Damages to claim reparations from Russia.

At the same time, on December 25, a video circulated on YouTube with Russian realtors urging buyers to purchase destroyed homes that their owners escaped from in the occupied Mariupol. They assure potential buyers that these houses will be rebuilt, leading to a significant increase in property values, allowing them to be sold at a much higher price later. Currently, these run-down properties, referred to as “rubbles” by the sellers, are being offered for exorbitant prices of 5 million rubles.