15 March 2024 , 20:39
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Kremlin forces have stolen the nationalities of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians by forcing them to accept Russian passports.
It means many of the men who have had to become Russian could be drafted in to fight against their compatriots who are trying to free them. The mass identity-steal counts for almost the entire population of occupied Ukraine, which sources say is 20% of the country. Ukrainians have been ordered to become Russian or face lengthy jail terms and beatings and be blocked from accessing healthcare in the region.
The passport coercion was stepped up ahead of this weekend’s farcical presidential election. Russian law states that anyone in the occupied territories who does not have a Russian passport by July 1 will be subject to imprisonment as a “foreign citizen”. The Russian government has seized at least 1,785 homes and businesses in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, according to the Associated Press.
In his speeches, Vladimir Putin often spreads lies about Ukraine being part of Russia (Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)Ukraine’s Crimean leadership in exile reported on February 25 that of 694 soldiers reported dead in recent fighting for Russia, 525 were likely Ukrainian citizens with Russian passports. Kyiv's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said “almost 100% of the whole population who still live on temporary occupied territories of Ukraine” now have Russian passports.
Under international law dating back to 1907, it is forbidden to force people “to swear allegiance to the hostile power”. But when Ukrainians apply for a Russian passport, they must submit biometric data and mobile phone information and swear an oath of loyalty.
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
They would have to fight their own countrymen if called up to fight for Putin (Anadolu via Getty Images)On Friday, a “double-tap” Russian missile strike on the city of Odesa in southern Ukraine killed at least 16 people and injured over 50 others. A first missile struck houses and when emergency crews arrived at the scene, a second missile landed, killing a paramedic and an emergency service worker.
At least 10 houses and some emergency service equipment were left damaged by the attack, which started a blaze. Since last summer, Russia has intensified its attacks on Odesa, a southern port home to one million Ukrainians.