Russia persecuting Ukrainians with status decree – Kyiv

Ukraine on Friday accused Russia of illegally pressuring Ukrainians in occupied territory to change their legal status or leave, stating that it would report the practice to the International Criminal Court.

Russia, which controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine's territory had issued a presidential decree on Thursday saying Ukrainian citizens living in Russia without legal grounds should regulate their status by September 10.

The Kremlin did not spell out what it meant by regulate, though it has been pressing Ukrainians in those areas to obtain Russian citizenship.

Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, described the move as a despicable act.

“It is yet another step in Russia's campaign of discrimination, persecution and forced displacement of Ukrainian citizens from their homeland, or forcing them to acquire foreigner status,” he said.

Russia, which regularly denied accusations of carrying out abuses, has not made any comment on the accusation at the time of filing this report.

President Vladimir Putin's decree affects Ukrainians who live in the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, as well as occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

Moscow unilaterally declared the Ukrainian regions to be Russian territory in 2022 after launching its full-scale invasion.

“Ukraine … appeals to the International Criminal Court with a requirement to take into account this decree as additional evidence of war crimes by the leadership of the Russian Federation,” Tykhyi added.

In March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and his children's commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of illegally deporting children from Ukraine.

Kyiv says it has officially confirmed the illegal abduction of no fewer than 19,000 children by Russia since Moscow launched the full-scale war.

However, Russia said that it was helping the children to leave the war zone.