Russia is tightening control over real estate in the occupied Ukrainian territories. According to Deutsche Welle, occupation authorities have ordered property owners to re-register their rights under Russian law by July 1, 2026. Otherwise, they face expropriation.
However, re-registration requires personal appearance and a Russian passport – an insurmountable hurdle for many displaced Ukrainians. “It breaks my heart,” said a woman from the Zaporizhzhia region who fled to Kyiv in 2022. “I built my whole life there. My business was bombed. I had to leave everything I loved behind.” She hopes for the liberation of her city and refuses to register with the occupiers.
Russian occupiers began seizing Ukrainians’ homes as early as 2014. In 2021, the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” declared abandoned apartments “ownerless.” In 2024, occupation authorities expanded this practice: apartments are now considered “ownerless” if they have been vacant for more than a year, have no utility payments, and whose owners do not appear in the Russian land registry. At the end of 2025, this approach was legalized at the federal level in Russia. “Ownerless” apartments can now be transferred to Russian citizens.
Source: www.dw.com
