Russia is deliberately escalating the humanitarian crisis in the occupied parts of Ukraine to make the local population more dependent on the occupation authorities, the National Resistance Center reported on Aug. 16.
The report noted rising prices of basic goods, namely food, coupled with the decrease in production and sales at enterprises controlled by Russia.
The National Resistance Center reported on a difficult situation in Donetsk Oblast regarding freshwater supply. The forced mobilization of the local male population also led to the lack of labor force, the report added.
The damaged infrastructure and the difficult security situation are among the factors forcing residents under occupation to move deeper into the occupied territory and then to Russia or to accept Russian passports in order to receive social support.
Forced passportization is an ongoing assault against Ukrainian civilians in the occupied areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts. Those who refuse to accept Russian passports are subject to intimidation, restrictions on social benefits, and possible violence.
Igor Kossov
