The socio-economic crisis in the TOTs of southern and eastern Ukraine continues to worsen as a result of a number of factors: Russia’s military aggression, destruction of economic infrastructure, disruption of supply chains, lack of international investment, and the enemy’s attempts to draw the occupied territories into its legal and informational field. The situation in these regions is increasingly resembling an economic collapse with serious consequences for the local population.
As a result of the hostilities, the occupation forces destroyed a significant part of industrial and infrastructure facilities. These include factories, ports, and transportation hubs. All of this resulted in significant destruction and was stopped due to the lack of labor. In addition, the Russian occupation forces are deliberately destroying critical infrastructure to hinder Ukraine’s economic recovery. This leads to massive job cuts, lower employment rates, and increased poverty among local residents. Along with this, the occupation authorities have organized the export of Ukrainian resources to the territory of Russia to further deplete the economic potential of the region.
At the same time, the occupation administration, together with the Russian occupation forces, actively destroyed the social sphere. The infrastructure in the occupied regions is practically destroyed or does not function properly. Medical institutions cannot provide full medical care due to a lack of medicines, medical equipment and qualified personnel. Educational institutions are in a deplorable state, and school-age children are forced to study under propaganda programs that not only do not meet Ukrainian state standards, but also contain an outright disinformation campaign against Ukraine as a whole. In this context, local ROAs are trying to forcefully integrate the occupied territories into the Russian social and economic environment by imposing their own rules of the game. For example, the local population is forced to accept Russian passports to receive basic social services, which is a direct violation of human rights and the laws of war.
In addition, it is worth mentioning that the temporarily occupied territories are experiencing a shortage of basic food, medical supplies and hygiene products. Supplies from the regions controlled by Ukraine are effectively blocked, and Russian logistics are unable to meet the needs of the population. As a result, people are suffering from a lack of basic necessities, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe. Representatives of the RAF are creating artificial shortages in order to force the population to cooperate with them or accept Russian citizenship in exchange for basic goods and services.
In conclusion, the socio-economic crisis in the TOT of southern and eastern Ukraine is getting worse every day, and its consequences may be long-lasting. The destruction of infrastructure, economic decline, violation of social standards, and the absence of the Ukrainian legal system are creating deep wounds for the region. Restoration of these territories will require large-scale efforts by both Ukraine and the international community after Ukraine’s victory.
The National Resistance Center calls on everybody to continue sharing information about Russian’s crimes and donating to the Defense Forces of Ukraine. It brings our long-awaited Victory closer.
