Russia intensifies pressure on occupied Ukrainians without Russian passports, military intelligence says
Ukrainians without Russian passports are classified by Russian occupation authorities as "foreign citizens" and subjected to Russian migration law, HUR said.
Russian security forces intensified their pressure on Ukrainians without passports in occupied territories during the first 10 days of October, according to Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR). The joint operations by Russian police and the Federal Security Service (FSB) targeted residents who had refused to obtain Russian passports, as part of an ongoing campaign dubbed "Illegal-2026."
Ukrainians without Russian passports were classified as "foreign citizens" and subject to Russian migration law, facing potential consequences such as expulsion, dismissal from work, and property seizure.
In occupied Luhansk Oblast, Russian authorities even checked the documents of minors as part of the operation. Parents whose children did not secure Russian passports allegedly faced fines, imprisonment, and the loss of parental rights. HUR described this as a tool in Russia's broader effort to pressure Ukrainians into accepting Russian citizenship and to push those who refuse out of occupied territory.
Russia has been pressuring residents of occupied Ukrainian territories to take Russian passports since 2014, linking access to employment, social services, property rights, and other daily necessities to possessing Russian documents. Earlier phases of the "Illegal-2026" operation had already taken place, with over 300 administrative cases opened and more than 40 people expelled in a 10-day phase in June.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
