Moscow russifies occupied regions of Ukraine and builds prisons - UK intelligence
Moscow Russifies occupied regions of Ukraine (Getty Images)
The Russian authorities are advancing new initiatives for governance in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including the training of officials and the construction of prisons, according to the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom.
According to reports, the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration is launching a master's program in State and Municipal Administration, which, according to a university representative, will equip graduates with skills for working at all levels of government, including in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Additionally, the Russian Minister of Justice, Konstantin Chuychenko, has announced that Russia has established 58 federal penitentiary institutions in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
According to British intelligence, the creation of the master's program is likely aimed at addressing the shortage of willing and qualified personnel for Russian government positions in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
This move may align with Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans to create a new administrative elite, as outlined in his address to the Federal Assembly last month, as well as the issuance of a presidential decree in January 2024 on creating a new personnel reserve, the report states.
"This is further evidence of Russification measures to align the legal and political frameworks of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. Other similar measures to date include extending the Russian justice system, imposing a Russian education curriculum, issuing Russian passports, and building Russian telecommunications infrastructure," the British Ministry of Defense notes.
Forced passportization
Previously, British intelligence reported that Ukrainians who refused Russian passports during the occupation faced deportation to Russian territories. According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, approximately 2.8 million residents currently reside in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and hold Russian passports.
Dmytro Lubynets, the authorized representative of the Verkhovna Rada on Human Rights, said that issuing Russian passports to Ukrainians in the occupied territories should be considered a forced procedure. Therefore, it is not appropriate to label all citizens who have obtained Russian passports as criminals.
