On March 20, 2025, russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that mandated Ukrainian nationals living in russia, or in sovereign Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by russia, to “settle their legal status” by September 10, 2025, or leave the territory, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Vladimir Putin’s decree is almost certainly intended to force the departure from temporarily occupied territories of Ukrainian nationals who refuse to accept russian passports and citizenship. Vladimir Putin and russian senior leadership continue to prosecute a russification policy, as part of longstanding efforts to extirpate Ukrainian culture, identity and statehood.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence Reveals russian Leadership Appears Willing to Accept Staggering Losses, Prioritizing War Objectives Over Soldier Safety
Russia erroneously and illegally defines both temporarily occupied and unoccupied Ukrainian territory in Ukrainian region of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, as well as Crimea, as being part of the russian federation. This is in direct contradiction with russia's own stated recognition of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty following the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as broader international recognition of Ukraine.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence: with Over Half a Million Wounded Service Members, the Strain on russian Military Medical System Further Drains
