In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the Russian authorities continue to illegally appropriate the housing of local residents, declaring it "ownerless" after the owners refuse to re-register their property under Russian law. This was reported by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, as conveyed by UNN.
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According to the ombudsman, the occupation authorities first force Ukrainians to obtain Russian documents, and then demand the re-registration of real estate in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation. If this does not happen, the housing is declared "ownerless" and appropriated.
According to the Ombudsman's Office, only during 2025–2026, 151 appeals were received regarding the illegal "nationalization" of property in the temporarily occupied territories.
In the occupied part of the Kherson region, the Russians are preparing for the so-called "nationalization" of 1,172 residential buildings. Of these, 1,134 are located in Nyzhni Sirohozy, 31 in Nyzhni Torhayi, and another seven in Pershopokrovka. The occupation administration cites the lack of property re-registration under Russian rules as the reason.
A similar situation, as Lubinets noted, has developed in the occupied Dniprorudne of the Zaporizhzhia region. There, residents were obliged to re-register their real estate by July 1, but it is virtually impossible to do so due to long queues and the limited operation of registration offices. In addition, any real estate transactions are blocked for those who have not registered with the occupation "military commissariats," which creates a risk of forced mobilization.
The Ombudsman's Office emphasized that Russia systematically applies a similar mechanism of illegal property appropriation also in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk regions, and Crimea.
This is a large-scale illegal appropriation of Ukrainian property, which may contain signs of war crimes. Occupation does not give Russia any right to the property of our citizens. Ukraine does not recognize documents issued in the temporarily occupied territories, except those concerning facts of birth, death, or marriage registration
The ombudsman called on Ukrainians whose property in the temporarily occupied territories has been illegally declared "ownerless," seized, or transferred to other persons, to report such cases to the Ombudsman's Office for documenting human rights violations and recording evidence of possible war crimes.