Moscow: Russian authorities are systematically seizing thousands of homes from Ukrainian residents who fled Mariupol, a BBC Verify investigation has found as the city marks three years of occupation.
At least 5,700 homes have been identified for seizure, our analysis of documents published by the Russian-installed city authorities since July 2024 shows.
To save their homes, Ukrainians would have to face a dangerous return to Mariupol via Russia, gruelling security checks, a complex bureaucratic process and overwhelming pressure to accept a Russian passport.
Most of the impacted properties were once occupied by Ukrainians who either fled or died during Russia’s 86-day siege of the strategically important city in 2022. Human Rights Watch said the bombardment killed more than 8,000 people, but noted that figure is “likely a significant underestimation”.
The confiscations appear to be part of a larger scheme to “Russify” the occupied coastal city, which includes the construction of new military facilities and renaming streets to Moscow-approved titles.
Russia’s siege left 93% of Mariupol’s high-rise buildings – 443 towers – destroyed or damaged, a study by Human Rights Watch found. Since then, Russia claims to have built more than 70 new blocks of flats, but locals say a huge housing shortage persists.
Men walk in front of ruined buildings in Mariupol
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
There have been reports for some time that Russia has been seizing property in occupied Ukraine. But a new law has accelerated the process – and made it harder for Ukrainian owners to assert their rights.
As well as the 2,200 homes set for imminent seizure by city officials, another 3,550 have been identified for potential confiscation, city documents analysed by BBC Verify show.
Mariupol officials failed to reply when approached for comment.Halyna is among the 350,000 Ukrainians estimated to have fled Mariupol to escape Russian occupation. We have agreed not to identify her surname because of safety concerns for her family who remain in the city.
She said her block of flats in the seaside city – which had a pre-war population of 425,000 – was heavily damaged by Russian tank fire during the siege. She has been told the “windows and doors” of the flat have been repaired, and that people are living there without her permission. She fears her flat will be seized.“This is legalised stealing of property,” she said. Source: BBC
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