Russia prepares legal framework to seize land in occupied territories
Photo: Russian soldier (Getty Images)
Russian troops continue to seize property in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In addition to homes, Russia now plans to confiscate land plots, according to the National Resistance Center of Ukraine (NRC).
It has been reported that, along with a registry of ownerless homes, the Russians have begun creating a similar database and are initiating the process of appropriating land plots from residents in occupied areas.
“Starting March 1, 2025, land plots for individual housing construction and personal subsidiary plots will be confiscated from their owners if no construction has been carried out on them in the last two years,” the NRC reports.
The process will proceed as follows: if oversight boards determine that the land has remained unused for two years, the owner will automatically be deprived of ownership. It is currently unclear what criteria will be used to define usage.
The NRC added that Russia continues to conduct raids in occupied areas, identifying properties without owners or those not re-registered under Russian law.
“This is done with the aim of appropriating them for the needs of the Russian troops,” the NRC concluded.
Russian militants seize housing
In July, the National Resistance Center (NRC) reported that collaborators in the occupied part of the Kherson region had created a derelict housing fund to seize property from its rightful owners. Including a property in the database was enough for the owners to be absent for a few months.
Additionally, the enemy devised another scheme to take over housing. For this, Russian troops only needed to declare a house unsafe. As a result, even those who had registered property ownership under Russian law were at risk of losing their homes.
