Kremlin tightens grip: Ukrainians in Russia face ultimatum
Putin's decree regarding the alleged "regulation of the status of foreigners in Russia" aims for complete control over Ukrainians on Russian territory and, in the occupied regions, gradually forcing them to take Russian citizenship. This amounts to ethnic cleansing, says Dr. Wojciech Siegień, an expert on Russia from the University of Gdańsk.
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on March 20, 2025, requiring Ukrainians residing in Russia to legalize their legal status by September 10 at 12:00 PM (ET); otherwise, they must leave the country. The new regulations also include mandatory medical examinations for "foreigners" (implicitly Ukrainians) located in territories annexed by Russia. What is behind these regulations, and what is their actual goal?
These actions are essentially ethnic cleansing, aiming to erase Ukrainian identity. In the Russian-occupied territories, residents are forced to determine their allegiance, resulting in the need to accept Russian documents, comments Dr. Wojciech Siegień, an expert in Russian propaganda analysis and author of the podcast "Eastern Bloc" on the Krytyka Polityczna website.
Those who disagree must leave or will be deported. Russia anticipates that subsequent generations raised in these areas will undergo Russification over time. He adds that this is already happening in the Donbas region, which has been occupied since 2014.
According to the interlocutor, especially the occupied territories are areas where Russia is conducting an intense policy of delegalizing Ukrainianness, which includes forced assimilation, potential ethnic cleansing, humiliating controls and surveillance, and the stigmatization of the population. The latter is manifested in the announcement of mandatory HIV and drug tests for Ukrainians.
According to Ukrainian statistics, before the Russian invasion, more than 8.5 million people lived in the occupied regions of Ukraine. About 2 million of them emigrated or were evacuated both to Ukraine and to Russia. In the Kherson region annexed by Russia, between 200,000 and 500,000 people currently reside. (The figures differ between Russian authorities and the Ukrainian administration). Approximately 350,000 Ukrainians are estimated to remain in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Russia wants to "regulate" the status of Ukrainians. Humiliating tests
According to the decree, Ukrainians residing in Russia must either legalize their stay or leave the country by September 10, 2025. This date may not be coincidental. Analysts at the Centre for Eastern Studies indicated that the progress in integrating with the Kremlin is supposed to be announced on September 30, "Unity Day with Russia."
The decree also imposes on people living in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics and in the occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions a mandatory examination for HIV and drugs (by June 10). These actions are perceived as typical of colonial and eugenic policies.
Russian media, such as TASS and Gazeta.ru, present these regulations as necessary steps to " ensure legal stability" and "protect national interests" in Russia. TASS cites the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs' justification, claiming that many Ukrainians have not regulated their status, which supposedly poses a "threat to national security."
What is Russia's true goal?
Analysis of the decree's content and comments from Russian officials suggest that the Kremlin is trying to achieve several key goals, including strengthening control over Ukrainians in Russia. Authorities also aim to fully identify and register all Ukrainian citizens residing on Russian territory. Those who do not comply with the new regulations may be deported or face restrictions on movement and employment.
The requirement for medical examinations, including HIV and drug tests, in the annexed regions not only has an administrative aspect but may also be a tool of psychological pressure. The introduction of additional procedures may force people reluctant to Russian administration to leave these areas.
Dr. Siegień reminds us that the policy of erasing Ukrainianness and all its traces has been conducted in Russia since 2014 and intensified after the full-scale war began in 2022. The interlocutor refers to the Russian term "zhdun" (derived from the Russian word "zhdat," meaning to wait).
Russians use this word with contempt towards those who "sit quietly" in cities like Luhansk, Donetsk, parts of Zaporizhzhia, or Crimea, waiting for the return of Ukrainian authority. A zhdun is portrayed as a secret "betrayer" or potential collaborator. These regulations are aimed at such people, he concludes.
In November 2024, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs proposed restricting the right to reside for Ukrainians who had been convicted of crimes or posed a threat to "social stability." The new regulations could eliminate individuals Russia deemed inconvenient.
Increasing the number of Ukrainians accepting Russian citizenship
Since 2022, Russia has implemented a policy of "passportization," encouraging or forcing residents of occupied territories to accept Russian citizenship. In May 2022, Putin simplified the procedures for obtaining it for residents of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson and later for all Ukrainians. Gazeta.ru reports that in 2024, around 600 Ukrainian citizens applied for a Russian passport.
Russian media openly reports that individuals who do not comply with the new regulations will be deported. TASS also states that authorities have expanded the powers of migration and police officers, who can decide to expel foreigners without lengthy legal procedures.
