In Russia, 165 deserted villages were officially liquidated in eight months - intelligence
Kyiv • UNN
In 26 regions of Russia, 165 deserted settlements were liquidated in less than eight months of 2026. Villages are disappearing fastest in the Novgorod and Kostroma regions.
The demographic crisis and the extinction of regions in Russia continue to gain momentum. In the first eight months of 2026, 165 deserted settlements were officially liquidated in 26 Russian regions, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine reports, according to UNN.
Details
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the leaders in the rate of depopulation and legal liquidation of villages were Novgorod Region (according to various estimates, between 21 and 35 villages erased from the map) and Kostroma Region (between 21 and 23 settlements).
At the same time, there are no more empty settlements in Ryazan, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions, Perm Krai, Karelia and Tatarstan.
Differences in the statistics of local media and independent researchers arise because of bureaucratic delays: regional laws on liquidation are adopted quickly, while changes enter all-Russian registers with a delay. However, the fact remains unchanged - Russia’s hinterland is rapidly emptying out and dying out
As a reminder
In Russia’s regions, police fine people for storing canisters of gasoline and detain them for attempting to complain about unequal access to fuel. Moscow and St. Petersburg have received priority supplies, while gas stations are closing in other regions.