Ukraine has accused Russia of pressuring Ukrainians in occupied areas to change their legal status or leave. The Ukrainian government says this is another step in Russia’s campaign of forced displacement and persecution.

On Thursday, Russia issued a decree requiring Ukrainians living in Russia without proper documents to “regulate their status” by September 10. However, Moscow did not explain what this meant. Ukraine believes Russia is trying to force its citizens to accept Russian passports.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, strongly condemned the decree, calling it a cruel act. He said Ukraine would report it to the International Criminal Court (ICC) as proof of Russia’s war crimes.

The decree applies to Ukrainians living in Crimea, which Russia took over in 2014, as well as in four other occupied regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Russia claimed these regions as its own in 2022 after launching its full-scale invasion.

In 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. They were accused of illegally taking Ukrainian children to Russia. Ukraine says at least 19,000 children have been abducted since the war began.

Russia denies the allegations, saying it is helping children escape the war. However, Ukraine insists that these actions are part of Russia’s effort to erase Ukrainian identity in occupied areas.

Kyiv continues to call for international support in holding Russia accountable for its actions.