Why the authorities of Crimea under Russian control have started a new phase of "nationalization" of the property of Ukrainian citizens

Not enough money for war? 

The head of the Russian parliament of the occupied Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov, announced the next wave of so-called "nationalization" of the property of Ukrainian citizens on the peninsula. He said that he would not be able to publish in advance a new list of property that the occupying authorities would confiscate.
"This is due to the fact that Ukrainian owners, when they find out about our plans, start to get active, they want to withdraw their profits," RIA Novosti quoted Konstantin's agency as saying. Property that has already been "nationalized" in occupied Crimea since the beginning of the Russian invasion will be put up for auction in the second half of 2023. According to preliminary estimates by the Russian authorities of Crimea, during 2022-2023. At least 500 items should be confiscated from citizens of Ukraine and Ukrainian legal entities.

How did Russia leave Ukrainians property rights in Crimea until 2022?

How massive can the process be now? What are the chances of being sanctioned for buying "nationalized" property? The head of the Regional Center for Human Rights Roman Martinovski, the former Vice-President of the Government of Crimea Andriy Senchenko and the President of the Committee of Economists of Ukraine Andriy Novak spoke about this topic for Krym.Realii.
 
Wave after wave

This is already the fourth or fifth wave of the so-called "nationalization" of Ukrainian property in Crimea, says the president of the Regional Center for Human Rights Roman Martinovski. The first, according to him, happened in 2014-2015. Then, immediately after the annexation of Crimea, the Russian authorities of the peninsula announced that they had "nationalized" 330 objects of state and union property. But in reality it is more, Martinovski is sure.
"About 4,000 companies and organizations that were state-owned (Ukraine - Kyrgyz Republic), nothing is said about them, but it is clear that the same fate awaited them," assures the expert.

At the end of 2016, at the beginning of 2017, a new phase of confiscation began, says Martinovski. This time, the Russian authorities in Crimea targeted the property of private individuals.
"They (the Russian Crimean authorities) seized land and demolished real estate based on court decisions. This process lasted very actively from 2017 to 2019," says Roman Martinovski.
In that period, the Regional Center for Human Rights managed to confirm the confiscation of around 4,000 cases based on the so-called "court decisions".
"At least 256 more buildings on the territory of Crimea were demolished on the basis that people allegedly illegally own land plots or buildings that do not meet the construction standards of the Russian Federation," notes Martinovsky.
The next phase followed in March 2020. Then the decree of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin came into force, prohibiting "foreign citizens" from owning land in most regions of the occupied Crimea - coastal and neighboring mainland Ukraine.
"At that time, different numbers were mentioned - from 10,000 to 12,000 plots. Yes, there was time for people to somehow solve the issue with plots, then the aggression started, and today, let's say, the situation has stabilized. And we have no information that any number of plots were confiscated in this way," says Martinovski.
The current statements about "nationalization" in the occupied Crimea are allegedly a response to the decision of the Ukrainian parliament Verkhovna Rada, which approved the seizure of Russian property, says Martinovsky.
"Allegedly, in response to that, they announced that 700 or 500 items would be confiscated. They were called specific surnames of our businessmen, representatives, etc.," says Martinovski.

Politicians from Crimea are in the crosshairs

The Russian-controlled Crimean parliament voted for a new so-called "nationalization" in October 2022. And the Russian publication "Kommersant" announced the confiscation of assets of a number of Ukrainian politicians from Crimea. The list includes Sergey Kunitsyn, Refat Chubarov, Mustafa Dzhemilev and Andrey Senchenko.
The former Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea, and the current head of the public organization "Power of Law" Andriy Senchenko, commented to Krym.Realii that all his property in Crimea was confiscated during the first years of the occupation of Crimea.
"In 2014, they declared all property, for example, the building where my office was located in the center of Simferopol, to be the property of the Republic of Crimea and handed it over to one of the FSB departments. And the FSB has been sitting there for nine years. And so, they either took everything they could, or they declared it the property of their operetta republic and sold it, making some kind of auction. It doesn't scare me that much. As far as I understand, the same thing happened to Refat Chubarov, with his elite real estate. Ask Kunitsin yourself. It's all nonsense," Senchenko said.
The head of the Russian government in occupied Crimea, Sergei Aksenov, previously announced that the proceeds from the sale of property seized from Ukrainians would be used for the war against Ukraine. However, Andrey Senchenko believes that the next redistribution of assets in Crimea will not have a major impact on the financing of the Russian military. According to politicians, the occupying power in Crimea is primarily concerned with other issues.
"These are statements for their FSB curators, they say, now something will happen, they are such pro-Kremlin patriots. In fact, it is impossible to make money from this, because everything was stolen a long time ago. "They have another problem, the entire top of the occupation government, how to take what they looted from Crimea," said the politician.
Senchenko is convinced that Crimean officials under Russian control are aware of the inevitability of Crimea's return to Ukraine.
"There is external bravado, but also internal insecurity about your future and the fear that there is a chance of being put on the dock of a Ukrainian court, or an unknown fate on the territory of Russia, because you can end up with a hole in your head in a ditch, and all that you robbed for nine years, some Facebook users will share it," Senchenko said.

Can owners not be concerned?

From a legal point of view, the "nationalization" in Crimea is legally insignificant, and the property that should be confiscated is toxic, according to the president of the Committee of Economists of Ukraine Andrey Novak.
"They (the Russian authorities of Crimea) can do what they want, from the point of view of their goals, their gestures for the population, but we all understand that the Russian authorities in Crimea must think not about the nationalization of Ukrainian property, but how to make another "gesture of goodwill", Novak said.
After the deoccupation, Ukraine will return Crimea to the legal framework, and all the confiscated rights, including the rights of property owners, will be returned, the economist says.
“I would not advise any owner of Ukrainian property in Crimea and other occupied territories to worry. "All assets that have been registered and confirmed will be returned to their legal Ukrainian owners," assures Novak.

"Buying any property in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea, is a waste of money," says Novak. "Smart people, businessmen, clearly understand this and now it will be practically impossible to find a buyer for the so-called nationalized objects in Crimea or other temporarily occupied territories," the expert believes.
He is sure that Russian propagandists can say that nationalization is going well, but to expect that it will fill the Russian coffers to finance the war - it is not worth it.
"We have to treat it calmly and look at it as a process that can be called the last spasms before the flight, before the "gesture of good will" of escaping from Crimea," said Andrej Novak.
Earlier, in an interview with Krym.Realii, the permanent representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea, Tamila Tasheva, stated that Ukraine, except for Russian passports, does not intend to recognize acts that violate human or state rights. This includes decisions on "nationalization" or confiscation of property and determination of inheritance.