Russia replaces the population of occupied Ukrainian territories

Translating from Faktor, Oct 20, 2025:

"Ghosts of the Empire: Putin Creates ‘New Siberia’ in Ukraine, Repeating Tactics of Tsars and the USSR

Maya Buyuklieva  

Moscow has launched a massive migration program that aims to permanently change the demographic makeup of the occupied Ukrainian territories. Under the guise of "returning local residents," the Kremlin is actually implementing a tried-and-tested imperial tactic - wiping out the local population and replacing it with loyal Russian citizens. This sinister plan, dubbed "New Siberia" by analysts, is not a new idea, but an echo of the darkest pages of Russian and Soviet history, writes United24media.com.

The New Siberia Plan: Baits for Settlers, Punishments for Locals 

According to the Center for National Resistance of Ukraine (CNR), Moscow's renewed migration policy envisages "creating conditions for the return of residents of Donbas, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions." However, the reality is radically different. Instead of facilitating the return of millions of Ukrainian refugees, Russia is organizing the resettlement of Russian citizens from distant regions such as Yakutia and Buryatia.  

This process effectively legalizes population replacement. New settlers receive generous incentives, such as free housing, financial assistance, and privileged access to jobs, especially in the local administration, police, and public institutions. 

At the same time, Ukrainians remaining in the occupied territories are under enormous pressure. Those who renounce Russian citizenship are now classified as "foreigners" in their own homeland. This deprives them of pensions, healthcare, and legal rights, and limits their stay to 90 days per year, a sure path to deportation. 

History Repeats itself: The Ghosts of the Russian Empire and the USSR 

What is happening today is a frightening repetition of methods used for centuries to consolidate imperial control. 

The policy of Tsarist Russia: As early as the 19th century, the Russian Empire purposefully settled Russian peasants in newly conquered territories such as the Caucasus, Central Asia, and even Ukraine itself. The goal was always the same – to reduce the percentage of the local population, suppress resistance, and impose Russian culture and language. 

Soviet tactics: The USSR took this practice to new heights. Stalin deported entire peoples—Crimean Tatars, Chechens, Ingush—and resettled Russians in their place. During industrialization, millions of Russians were sent to non-Russian republics to work in the new factories, forever changing the demographics of regions like Donbas, Latvia, and Kazakhstan. 

Today's "New Siberia" program is a direct successor to this imperial tradition, aiming for "Russification" through demographic, not just military, means. 

The Goal: Identity Erasure and Eternal Control 

The Kremlin’s ultimate goal is clear. By creating a new administration and society loyal to Moscow, Russia seeks to fully integrate the occupied territories and make any future attempt at de-occupation extremely difficult. 

 This is not just a war for territory, but demographic engineering aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity from these lands. By replacing the local population, Moscow is trying to secure lasting control that is not dependent solely on military presence, but is cemented in the very social fabric of the region. This is an attempt to annex not only the map, but also the hearts and minds of the people who will live there."

***

Actually, Russia has applied demographic engineering in Ukraine before, back in Soviet times, when Stalin starved millions of Ukrainians to death during the Holodomor and then replaced them with Russian settlers. This is why the eastern regions of Ukraine are Russian-speaking - a fact that Trump's minion Witkoff uses as an argument to insist that Ukraine cedes these regions to Russia.