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Putin aims to turn Donbas into another Siberia - National Resistance Center

Putin aims to turn Donbas into another Siberia - National Resistance Center Illustrative photo: Putin wants to revive Siberia in the occupied territories of Ukraine (GettyImages)

Moscow has announced a large-scale program to populate the occupied territories of Ukraine, disguising it as the "return of residents." However, the Kremlin's real goal is entirely different, according to a publication by the Center for National Resistance on Telegram.

Russia has presented an updated migration concept that envisions "creating conditions for the return of residents of Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions."

However, under the guise of returning local residents, the Kremlin is in fact preparing a plan for the mass resettlement of citizens from remote regions of the Russian Federation — from Yakutia to Buryatia.

In essence, this means the legalization of demographic replacement: the native population of the occupied territories is gradually being displaced and replaced by "new Russians."

Such a policy resembles the colonial practices of past centuries, when Moscow used resettlement to strengthen control over conquered lands.

Demographic engineering disguised as "reconstruction"

The officially declared goal of the program is the "reconstruction of regions and the return to normal life."

However, experts emphasize that the Kremlin's true intention is to change the ethnic composition of these regions and accelerate their integration into the Russian space.

In practice, this means Russification and the gradual erasure of Ukrainian identity in the occupied territories.

New settlers receive priority access to housing, benefits, jobs, and financial aid, which encourages mass relocation.

Moreover, according to Russian documents, these "new residents" are expected to form the backbone of administrative bodies, police, and local self-government – effectively creating a parallel society under Moscow's full control.

Colonization disguised as aid

This policy fits into the Kremlin's long-term strategy to alter Ukraine's demographics. On the one hand, Russia deports Ukrainians from the occupied territories; on the other, it populates them with its own citizens. This lays the groundwork for consolidating the occupation not only militarily but also demographically.

According to analysts, the new project is an attempt to revive the "Siberian development" model, where settlers were used to secure imperial control. This time, the Kremlin is trying to apply the same methods to the seized Ukrainian lands.

It should be recalled that Russian occupation administrations in the seized territories of Ukraine have developed a scheme of financial support for local collaborators disguised as agricultural subsidies. According to the Center for National Resistance, payments for growing potatoes and vegetables have been introduced in the temporarily occupied territories, formally presented as agricultural support but in fact aimed at fostering loyalty to the occupation authorities.

It should also be noted that teachers from various Russian regions continue to be brought en masse to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. These "teachers" are recruited under contracts with promises of higher pay to replace local educators who refused to work under occupation administrations.