Russia populates temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia in the south with residents of Russia, Belarus and Qazaqstan

Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine (Svidomi) — The occupation authorities want to populate the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia in the south of Ukraine with Russians, Belarusians and Qazaqs, Ukrainian Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov says.

Fedorov claims that the Russian authorities in the temporarily occupied territories are already processing applications for resettlement.

The "operation" has the Soviet code name 'Zaporizhzhia Tsilyna' (Virgin Land of Zaporizhzhia).

Virgin land is uncultivated land that is suitable for agriculture. The term gained popularity in the 1950s when the Soviet Union implemented a set of measures to increase grain production on undeveloped land.

"The enemy wants to do away with two 'thorns in their side' at once, which it has not been able to cope with for almost two years of occupation: the resistance of Ukrainians and the staff shortage," says the mayor of Melitopol.

He says the Russians are trying to evict the so-called "undesirable" Ukrainians who are threatened with deportation if they refuse to get Russian passports.

"They are ready to buy personnel to move to the temporarily occupied territory and settle in [Ukrainian] seized apartments and houses, and thus solve their demographic problems," Ivan Fedorov adds.

The occupation authorities began work on the settlement programme in October 2023. According to the so-called governor of the occupied part of the region, Yevhen Balitsky, 'Zaporizhzhia Tsilyna' lands are "full of entrepreneurial and human resources".

It will be recalled that during the two years of occupation of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region, Russia brought more than 100,000 of its citizens to the city.