A study backed by the United States published on Wednesday indicates that Ukrainians living in areas occupied by Russia are being forced to choose between adopting Russian citizenship or facing harsh reprisals, including the possibility of deportation or detention. Researchers from Yale University revealed that Moscow, as part of its plan to impose its authority over Ukrainians, is targeting the populations of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia with systematic efforts to strip them of their Ukrainian identity.
The study notes that Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a series of decrees that compel Ukrainians to obtain Russian passports, in violation of international humanitarian law. The Kremlin has consistently denied allegations of war crimes committed by Russian forces involved in what Moscow refers to as a "special military operation" in Ukraine.
According to the study, Ukrainians in occupied territories who do not seek Russian citizenship "face threats, intimidation, restrictions on humanitarian assistance and basic necessities, as well as the likelihood of detention or deportation, all aimed at forcing them to become Russian citizens."
Nathaniel Raymond, the executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University's School of Public Health, told Reuters, "What is concerning here is that it fundamentally violates the Hague and Geneva conventions... This is happening on a very large and sustained scale." He added, "Ukrainians in Russian-controlled areas have no choice but to accept a Russian passport if they want to stay alive; otherwise, they face the prospect of detention and deportation to Russia if they do not comply, as the team has observed."
The study was issued as part of a conflict monitoring program, supported by the U.S. State Department, conducted by the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University's School of Public Health.
