Thursday, August 03, 2023

Russia ‘Systematically’ Forcing Ukrainians to Accept Citizenship, US Report Finds

THE GUARDIAN: Ukrainians in occupied territories who refuse Russian passports face threats, intimidation and possible detention or deportation, Yale study says

Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory are being forced to assume Russian citizenship or face retaliation, including possible deportation or detention, a new US report has said.

Yale University researchers found that residents of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions were being targeted by a systematic effort to strip them of Ukrainian identity.

Ukrainians who do not seek Russian citizenship “are subjected to threats, intimidation, restrictions on humanitarian aid and basic necessities, and possible detention or deportation, all designed to force them to become Russian citizens,” the report said. » | Helen Sullivan | Thursday, August 3, 2023