British intelligence has analyzed Russia's actions aimed at making the occupation of the seized territories of Ukraine irreversible and suggested the possibility of deporting residents without Russian passports.
The intelligence review from the British Ministry of Defence dated March 11, noted that individuals without Russian passports in the occupied territories currently cannot access social services, including healthcare.
In April 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree stating that residents of the territories not under Russian control who refuse Russian passports will become foreign citizens or stateless persons. Such individuals are allowed to remain in the occupied territories only until July 1, 2024.
"There is a real possibility that all individuals remaining in the occupied territories after this date and without Russian passports will be deported or detained," the report stated.
The rhetoric of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also indicates Kremlin's plans for deportation, suggesting that people without Russian passports could be resettled to remote areas of Russia.
British intelligence underscores that the Kremlin is pursuing a relentless policy of Russification in the occupied territories. Another decree dated February 26, 2024, designates the occupied territories as part of the Russian Southern Military District.
"The Kremlin is seeking to make the integration of the TCT into the Russian Federation irreversible," the review stated.
