Russia seizes thousands of abandoned Ukrainian homes in Mariupol - BBC
Photo: Mariupol under occupation, 2022 (t me zsuwar)
Russian authorities are confiscating thousands of apartments in occupied Mariupol from homeowners who fled the city after the full-scale invasion began, BBC reports.
A BBC Verify investigation revealed that since July 2024, the Russian administration in Mariupol has marked at least 5,700 residential units in the city as eligible for seizure.
Most of these apartments belonged to Ukrainians who either fled or died during the 86-day siege of Mariupol in 2022. At the time, Human Rights Watch estimated over 8,000 people were killed by Russian shelling, though that number is “likely a significant underestimation.”
Ownerless apartments
According to documents analyzed by BBC Verify, in addition to the 2,200 homes already undergoing forced transfer to the occupation administration, another 3,550 units are listed as potential targets for confiscation.
Russian officials label these properties as ownerless, claiming they are unused or lack a legal owner under Russian law.
Official documents published on the website of the occupation administration show that the complex confiscation process typically begins after reports from inspectors or local residents and ends with the forced seizure of property.
To retain ownership, Ukrainians would have to undertake a dangerous journey back to the occupied city, pass strict security checks, navigate complex bureaucracy, and face pressure to accept a Russian passport. This makes reclaiming their property nearly impossible.
Destruction of Mariupol’s historic city center
It was previously reported that Russian occupational administration, under the guise of reconstruction efforts, have begun dismantling the historic center of temporarily occupied Mariupol. The enemy is demolishing buildings of historical significance.
The Center for National Resistance stated that in the city’s central district, representatives of the Russian administration have authorized new housing construction. These developments are intended for Russian citizens from economically depressed regions and immigrants from Asia, offered under mortgage programs.
