Russian occupation authorities have intensified law enforcement activity in occupied areas of Ukraine since mid-March, likely in part due to Russian President Vladimir Putin's March 20 decree ordering Ukrainians living in occupied areas to obtain Russian citizenship or risk deportation.
Sevastopol occupation governor Mikhail Razvozhaev stated on March 29 that Russian law enforcement authorities in occupied Sevastopol conducted "preventative measures to control compliance with migration legislation" and searched 1,500 private homes.
The Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) MVD additionally conducted a raid in occupied Donske, Donetsk Oblast, on March 25 and inspected 1,500 apartments and 600 private homes in order to check residents' documents.
The March 20 decree stipulates that Ukrainian or "foreign" citizens living in occupied areas of Ukraine must either "regulate their legal status” or leave their homes, or else risk deportation.
Militarization of Ukrainian children also continues within occupied territories.
Ukrainian outlet Suspilne published an investigation on March 24 detailing how Russia is building a "Voin" (Warrior) training camp at the site of a demolished children's camp in occupied Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. This will be the fourth such "Voin" military training camp in occupied Ukraine.
"Voin" camps are primarily intended to teach Ukrainian children basic military skills, such as small arms fire, tactical first aid, and drone operation, under the supervision of Russian veterans and active military personnel.
Ukrainian Luhansk Oblast Head Artem Lysohor noted on March 25 that upwards of 12,000 children in occupied Luhansk Oblast alone are undergoing military-patriotic indoctrination and military training in programs such as "Voin" and "Yunarmia” (Russian Young Army Cadets National Movement).
Key Takeaways:
- Russian occupation authorities have intensified law enforcement activity in occupied areas of Ukraine since mid-March.
- Putin's March 20 decree, "On the Peculiarities of the Legal Status of Certain Categories of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation," likely accounts in part for the intensification of raids in occupied areas.
- Russia continues efforts to indoctrinate Ukrainian children using civic youth-engagement and military-patriotic education programs.
- Militarization of Ukrainian children also continues within occupied territories.
- Russia continues to pursue logistics infrastructure projects in occupied Ukraine in order to maximize economic control over occupied territories.
- Russian occupation authorities also continue efforts to incentivize Russian citizens to relocate to occupied Ukraine from Russia in a clear violation of international law.
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