Remote Property Registration for Russian Citizens
Russian occupation authorities have established a system allowing Russian Federation citizens to remotely register property rights in the seized areas of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region. This service enables the acquisition of real estate in occupied territories without the buyer needing to be physically present. By the start of 2026, the processing of documents for these transactions was operational in multifunctional centers across 79 regions of Russia, significantly broadening access for potential buyers. This move is widely seen as an attempt to solidify long-term control and encourage settlement.
Mobilization and Control in Occupied Regions
The greatest interest in housing and commercial properties in Zaporizhzhia region has come from residents of Moscow, Tyumen region, and Krasnodar Krai. Concurrently, the occupation administration is working to legitimize the forced mobilization of local residents, including in Melitopol. Russia has passed a law permitting year-round military conscription, which it formally extends to the occupied areas of Ukraine.
Under these new rules, a resident of Melitopol or surrounding villages can receive an electronic summons and is obligated to report to a 'military commissariat' within 30 days. Occupation 'military commissariats' have received directives from Moscow to compile lists of men aged 18 to 50 deemed 'fit for service.' Furthermore, in the temporarily occupied part of Kherson region, the Russian occupation administration has begun a campaign to 'attach' local residents to clinics using compulsory Russian health insurance policies (OMC RF).
These actions underscore Russia's efforts to consolidate its control over occupied territories by involving both its own citizens and the local population. The remote property registration and forced mobilization are likely to have profound social and economic consequences for the region's inhabitants, highlighting the ongoing severity of the occupation and the immense pressures faced by Ukrainians living under it.