Russia is increasing pressure on residents of the four Ukrainian territories annexed last fall to take Russian citizenship. According to a decree issued by President Vladimir Putin on Thursday evening, Ukrainians, stateless persons and holders of "passports" of the "people's republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk who do not want to take citizenship of the occupiers will only be allowed to live in the affected areas until July 1, 2024. After that, they could be deported as "foreigners" without a residence permit.

Friedrich Schmidt

Political correspondent for Russia and the CIS in Moscow.

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Russia has designated the eastern and southern Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as its territory since the annexations, but does not fully control any of the "new territories," as the Kremlin calls them. Previously, Moscow had tried to persuade the population of the occupied territories to take Russian citizenship, for example with support services.

Russia has recognized passports of the "people's republics" since 2017

Efforts to turn Ukrainians into Russians are in line with Putin's dictum that they are "one people." Since the spring of 2019, residents of the shadow formations of Donetsk and Luhansk have been naturalized on a large scale. At the time, this was seen as a declaration of war on the then newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Since 2014, Russia has officially recognized "passports" issued in violation of international law by the two "people's republics" of the two "people's republics" proclaimed in 2017, officially in order to make it easier for their residents to travel.

Putin's new decree also provides for the deportation of people who pose "a threat to the national security" of Russia, for example if they are involved in "terrorist (extremist) attacks" or take part in "unauthorized gatherings" and demonstrations. In view of the many reports of atrocities in the occupied territories, this target against opponents of the Russian land grab is likely to be a bureaucratic euphemism.

Despite the lack of war successes, Putin has meanwhile instructed several ministries to join forces with organizations such as the Russian Historical Society, headed by Sergei Naryshkin, director of the foreign intelligence service SWR, to establish museums "dedicated to events of the special military operation and the exploits of their participants." For this purpose, "artefacts suitable for museumization and exposure" should be selected. Officials are expected to submit reports on these tasks by the end of the year.