Russia to nationalise 'ownerless' homes in occupied Ukraine
Russia has approved plans to nationalise homes considered "ownerless" in the occupied Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
According to Russian newspaper Vedomosti, the draft was endorsed on 20 October by the Governmental Commission on Legislative Activity, following a proposal from Russia's Construction Ministry, as reported by The Moscow Times.
Under the project, the properties will be declared "ownerless" if valid ownership documents are missing or if the owner cannot be identified. These assets will be transferred to state ownership – specifically, to the Russian-installed occupation administrations or local municipal authorities. The law stipulates that such housing may be allocated to individuals permanently residing in the occupied regions who have lost their homes due to the war. They may also be offered as official accommodation for staff of public and municipal institutions, military personnel, police officers, teachers and doctors.
The properties, however, can be returned to their rightful owners if they come forward and prove legal title.
The bill also establishes that certain assets that cannot belong to individuals or legal entities – such as critical infrastructure or enterprise complexes essential for the economy's functioning – will directly become state property.
In 2023–2024, the authorities installed by Russia in the occupied territories had already adopted local acts that temporarily regulated the status of "ownerless property." Following the new provisions' adoption, the regime for this housing will now be established at the federal level. The Russian-appointed representative of the Kherson region in the Federation Council, Igor Kastyukevich, said the new law will allow authorities to attract civilian and public specialists, who will be offered official accommodation, the cited publication noted.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
