By In Mariupol, a Ukrainian city under Russian control since 2022, authorities are seizing thousands of homes from residents, a BBC Verify investigation reveals. Documents from the Russian-installed administration show 5,700 homes targeted, many belonging to Ukrainians who fled during the brutal 86-day siege that killed over 8,000 and destroyed 93% of high-rise buildings.
To reclaim their properties, owners face a perilous journey through Russia, grueling security checks, and pressure to accept Russian citizenship—a process critics call “legalized theft.” Human Rights Watch notes the death toll may be far higher, while Russia claims to have built 70 new housing blocks, though locals report a severe shortage.
The seizures, part of a “Russification” campaign, include building military facilities and erasing Ukrainian symbols, prompting rare protests from residents. International law expert Prof Nehal Bhuta labels the actions illegal, violating the Fourth Geneva Convention due to the unlawful annexation. Petro Andrushenko, a former Ukrainian official, describes the process as “distressing,” leaving owners feeling helpless.
The systematic dispossession, ongoing as Mariupol marks three years of occupation, has reignited global condemnation of Russia’s tactics in the region.
