As part of its long-standing repressive tactics, the aggressor state continues to use financial coercion to control the local population in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT). Since the beginning of 2025, the Russian occupation authorities have completely stopped monthly pension payments to individuals who have not obtained a Russian passport. This decision directly affects residents in the TOT of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Pension blackmail is a disgraceful form of financial pressure, serving as yet another step in the Kremlin’s campaign of forced passportization, which it systematically imposes on the local population across all TOTs.
By issuing Russian passports, the occupiers aim to reclassify TOT residents as “citizens of Russia,” using this as a means to legitimize their war crimes before the international community. Additionally, the occupation authorities exploit this process to gain unauthorized access to personal data, further tightening control over the population and suppressing the Ukrainian resistance movement.
You can stop the policy of the Russian invaders and their collaborators by publicizing their crimes and demanding their international prosecution. You can also participate in rallies in support of Ukraine or donate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
