Half a million Russians will face eviction from Crimea should Ukraine recapture the Black Sea peninsula that was illegally annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, an official has said.
Tamila Tasheva, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's top representative for Crimea, told Ukraine's Radio NV that some 500,000 to 800,000 Russians are currently living illegally in Crimea, and could be forcibly deported in accordance with the norms of Ukrainian legislation and international law.
In a video published on Thursday, Tasheva said between 2014 and 2016, many Russians illegally traveled to the Black Sea peninsula from Russia after it was annexed from Ukraine.
"This is a huge number of people and it is a factor of constant danger for the Ukrainian state," she said.
The official said Ukraine has "no doubt" that Crimea will be returned to the country, and suggested that Russians in the region "will not allow the Ukrainian state to develop."
She also noted the "constant danger" of Russian authorities who will seek to protect their civilians in Crimea.
"Therefore, we have one answer to this, we do not violate any norms of international law in this regard and there are already instruments in Ukrainian legislation," Tasheva explained.
"All these persons are in the territory of Ukraine illegally, they did not come through the crossing points of Kalanchak, Chaplinka or Chongar, when they were still there before the full-scale invasion, because there are no points through the Russian Federation. There is no Kerch bridge, etc., these are all illegal entries."
"They should have gone, firstly, through Ukrainian checkpoints, secondly, they should have made a request for the possibility of living on the territory of Ukraine, clearly Crimea is a constituent part of the Ukrainian state, so they should have made such a request," Tasheva continued.
She added: "We will unequivocally de-occupy the territory of the Crimean peninsula, so of course we will ask them to leave the territory of Crimea."
Tasheva said she believes some Russians will leave on their own accord, but for those who don't, "there is such a concept as forced expulsion in the current Ukrainian migration legislation and in the migration legislation of all countries."
"Because if a citizen of another country crossed the border illegally, then forced deportation takes place."
The official said those affected will be given the opportunity to later apply for the opportunity to live in Crimea, "but not immediately, first they have to leave."
"But I am sure that the majority of people, after our armed forces enter the territory of Crimea, when the public power in the territory of Crimea begins to function and is restored, they themselves will mostly leave the territory of Crimea," she added.
Her remarks come amid reports that Russians are fleeing Crimea to the neighboring Russian region of Krasnodar because they fear Ukraine will eventually liberate the Black Sea peninsula.
Refat Chubarov, a Crimean Tatar leader, told the publication on Thursday that he believes the Kremlin will begin to disintegrate should Ukraine recapture Crimea.
Zelensky vowed to take back Crimea during a televised address on August 29, saying that Ukraine's military had "kept the goal" of recapturing Crimea since it was annexed.
Newsweek reached out to Russia's foreign ministry for comment.
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About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
