Consequences of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine

In his remarks concerning negotiations on a potential freeze of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Tammsaar emphasised that these crimes are being committed amidst ongoing diplomatic processes. 

As of April 2025, according to the UNHCR, over 6.9 million Ukrainian refugees had been registered globally.

Furthermore, approximately six million Ukrainian citizens—including some 1.5 million chil-dren—remain in the occupied territories, where they are subject to Russia's criminal ethnic policy. 

Thus, any legal evaluation of the Russian Federation's actions and the development of protection mechanisms for Ukrainians in these regions require urgent and comprehensive attention, particu-larly in the event of a frozen conflict.

Mass deportations of Ukrainians from occupied territories were part of a premeditated Russian state policy even prior to the full-scale invasion. 

According to investigations by Deutsche Welle, Russia continues to carry out mass deportations of Ukrainians from occupied territories.The Ukrainian government estimates that between 1.5 and 2 million Ukrainian citizens have been forcibly relocated to Russia as of 2025. 

Particularly vulnerable are the relatives of Ukrainian soldiers and civic activists.

A critical component of the Russian Federation's deliberate strategy to purge Ukrainians from occupied territories is the forced imposition of Russian citizenship and systematic Russification. Ac-cording to Just Security, since 2014—following the annexation of Crimea and occupation of parts of Donbas - Russian authorities have compelled millions of Ukrainians in occupied areas to acquire Russian citizenship. 

An investigation by the Associated Press revealed that Russia has rendered it nearly impossible to survive in the occupied regions without a Russian passport.

This policy was formalised in March 2025, when President Vladimir Putin signed a decree mandating that Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories or in Russia must obtain Russian citizenship by 10 September 2025 or leave. 

In October 2024, Russian occupation authorities in Kherson Oblast announced mandatory military service for men aged 18 to 30.

Similar campaigns had previously taken place in the occupied parts of Donetsk, Lu-hansk, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts.

Also deserving attention is the forcible conscription of Ukrainians in the occupied territories into the Russian military, a process often enabled by the imposed citizenship policies. 

In light of the above, the development of mechanisms to protect Ukrainians in occupied territories must become a cornerstone of any diplomatic resolution. If such guarantees are not established, millions of Ukrainians could be left defenceless under a frozen conflict, exposed to the genocidal policies of the Russian Federation. 

Concrete mechanisms for the enforcement of these rights must be codified in any agreements governing the potential freezing of Russian aggression and ratified by all parties. 

In light of the precedents established by Russia's actions from 2014 to 2022, one of the essential tools for safe-guarding human rights must be the deployment of a United Nations humanitarian mission to these areas.