Voice of Ukraine

From: Kanal 13 — Russian dictator Vladimir Putin justifies the full-scale invasion, among other things, by “liberating” Russian-speaking regions. In reality, the territories under Russian occupation are subject to mass looting. This is stated in an investigation by Le Figaro. Russian occupation forces have “confiscated,” or in fact seized, at least 25,000 residential properties in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. This campaign has been ongoing since 2014. Under the guise of “ownerless property,” Moscow is seizing houses and apartments belonging to Ukrainians who are not listed in Russian registries. In reality, this amounts to a systemic expropriation of other people’s property. The largest number of cases were recorded in Mariupol: at least 13,000 apartments and houses fell under the control of Russian occupiers. Back in March, the BBC reported that more than 5,700 properties had lost their rightful owners as a result of Russian aggression. Large-scale “confiscations” are also taking place in other towns and villages. In Energodar, where most residents fled the occupation, their homes have been occupied by Russian forces. In Donetsk, apartments in central districts are being confiscated. In the mining town of Bryanka near Luhansk, which has become a military logistics hub for the Russian Armed Forces, the “authorities” plan to seize approximately 400 apartments in old Soviet-era buildings. In the resort town of Kyrylivka in the Zaporizhia region, not only houses but also hotels, restaurants, and sanatoriums—at least 70 properties—have been “confiscated.” In most cases, housing is transferred to Russian military personnel, intelligence officers, and government officials. Furthermore, as a reward for their participation in the aggression against Ukraine, veterans of the so-called “SVO” receive land plots and apartments. In Crimea, according to official data, approximately 2,500 such individuals have already become owners of land by the sea. If the houses aren’t occupied by security forces or officials, they are sold at auction. According to Gunola Inizan, a researcher at Lumière Lyon 2 University, ” the main goal of the confiscation is to enrich the state .” In the first six months of 2025 alone, the Kremlin earned over 24 million euros from the “nationalization” of Ukrainian property in occupied Crimea. The confiscation system is also used to impose Russian citizenship. Since October 2023, proof of housing rights can only be obtained with a Russian passport. In March 2025, Moscow announced the issuance of 3.5 million Russian documents in the so-called “new regions.” This policy, as Le Figaro notes, not only legitimizes the seizure of other people’s property, but also complicates the process of future de-occupation. What is currently happening in the occupied territories is causing discontent and even rebellion among the local population against Moscow. It is not excluded that the wave of rebellion will grow further.