Mariupol occupation administration distributes over 4,000 apartments from so-called municipal fund

Final stage of housing distribution

In occupied Mariupol, officials announced the near-completion of the process of handing over so-called compensatory housing. According to a representative of the occupation administration, approximately 4,100 apartments have already been distributed. This information emerged in a statement by Anton Koltsov, whom the occupiers appointed as "head of the district".

According to Koltsov, housing is provided from the so-called "municipal fund". The occupation authorities plan to complete the main stage of this process by December of this year.

Property seizure mechanism

As Radio Svoboda previously reported, a practice exists in the occupied territory whereby apartments belonging to residents who left due to hostilities are declared "ownerless" by the administration. Such housing can be transferred to other individuals.

Journalistic investigation established that the occupation authorities recognise similar premises as "ownerless" and include them in the municipal fund. They can then be distributed as compensation to those who have lost their own homes.

Legal aspects

Human rights defenders emphasise that the seizure of private property in occupied territories may violate the norms of international humanitarian law.