Kathrine Frich
For more than a century, forced relocations have marked some of the most troubling chapters of Russian and Soviet governance.
Entire communities were shifted across vast distances, often under the banner of development or security.
That long history now hangs heavily over new allegations emerging from Ukrainian resistance groups.
Siberia program
A Ukrainian organisation known as Resistance says Moscow has already begun resettling civilians from occupied Ukrainian territories to Siberia.
The group, citing research from the National Center of Resistance (CNR), argues that Russia’s recently announced “Siberia Development Program” is being used as a front for sweeping demographic manipulation.
According to TVP World, Resistance reported that the initiative was launched under former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Resistance describes itself as promoting accountability and individual freedoms, and says the CNR sees preparations for mass evacuation from occupied regions.
Demographic shift
The CNR, a project of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, claims Russia intends to repopulate Siberia using residents from Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk.
It says the region is “devastated,” marked by depopulation, environmental strain and resource depletion.
Resistance reports that analysts believe Siberia has been further depleted by the flight of young people and losses from military mobilization.
One Ukrainian analyst cited by the group claims Moscow “plans to send five million settlers to the occupied territories.”
Imperial strategy
Resistance links the Siberian programme to what it calls Moscow’s broader “imperial policy.”
According to its reporting, Russian officials are laying the administrative groundwork by instructing public institutions to identify staff suitable for long-term deployment to the Far East and the Angara-Yenisei macroregion.
Letters marked “urgent” were reportedly sent to schools, hospitals and other public bodies, asking them to list employees without binding family responsibilities.
The CNR argues that these measures are part of a strategy to rebuild Siberia “with the hands of Ukrainians.”
Vulnerable targets
Resistance warns that the approach focuses on those least able to resist relocation.
It says such individuals could be moved “without significant public outcry,” echoing tactics associated with the 1940s and 1950s.
According to the group, the sequence typically begins with forced passportisation, followed by mandatory “business travel,” then state-managed resettlement.
“The essence of imperial policy remains unchanged,” the group stated, arguing that the goal is to alter the demographic make-up of occupied regions entirely.
Sources: Digi24.ro, TVP World
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
