The created image is quite "informative" for propaganda media. But the queues for russian passports in the occupied territories do not mean the desire of Donbas residents to obtain citizenship of the aggressor country. In reality, people have been backed into a corner and given no choice but to leave. However, not everyone is ready to abandon their homes, pack up everything they have acquired in two suitcases and venture into the unknown.
It seemed that the occupiers had employed all methods to "russify" Ukrainians, from threatening them with job loss to depriving them of all social benefits. Yet, even after all of this, there remained a considerable number of people in Donetsk who were unwilling to obtain the documents of the invaders.
Therefore, in the spring of this year, the heads of budgetary organizations were tasked with using any means necessary to force their subordinates to obtain russian citizenship.
And once again, it didn't work. There weren't as many frightened individuals as they had hoped for. At the beginning of June, they conducted an inspection to assess compliance with the order and found that there were still employees in each department who held Ukrainian citizenship.
That's when they decided to punish them financially. They announced that starting from July, all non-russian citizens would receive a salary 20-30% lower. "That’s nonsense!" you might say, and you would be right. After the annexation, russia officially stated that everyone residing in the "annexed" territories automatically became russian citizens. As it turns out, that's not the case. To become a citizen, one must swear allegiance to the new "motherland" and obtain the new passport.
Another group of people from Donbas was forced to queue up in front of the Multifunctional Center (MFC) – a single place for document submission, registration and issuance. In just 10 days, they were made "russians" under an expedited program.
However, there were still those who were willing to sacrifice a portion of their salary just to avoid obtaining russian citizenship. Moreover, many people work in non-budgetary organizations, so the "punishment" did not apply to them.
But apparently, the kremlin needed to declare that 100% "russians" reside in the occupied lands. So the occupiers threatened all citizens living in the "DNR" territory with a comprehensive loyalty check to russia and the "republic", followed by the deportation of dissidents. Putin signed a decree on the possible deportation of residents in the occupied territories who refused russian citizenship and "posed a threat to the national security".
The kremlin minions immediately began developing mechanisms to implement the decree and wanted to show their master that they were determined to see to it.
They started by prohibiting all medical institutions from providing free assistance to people without russian citizenship. There haven't been cases of ambulance services being denied yet, but it's already difficult to receive free dental care. At the registration desk, they ask for a russian passport, otherwise they direct you to a paid department. But not everyone can afford that. The price list for dental fillings for a native resident of Donbas who suddenly became a "foreigner" today ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 rubles (without anesthesia and nerve removal). The cost increases to 3,000 rubles for pain relief and root canal filling. Tooth extraction during acute pain will cost from 3,000 to 6,000 rubles. In addition, without a russian passport, some district polyclinics no longer accept blood, urine and stool tests. And in private laboratories, the prices for these services are exorbitant.
But even that was not enough for the genocide of Ukrainians in the occupied territories. Now they are planning to build filtration camps (temporary detention centers) where those who refuse to obtain russian passports will be sent.
On June 20, the "head" of the "DNR", Pushilin, signed a "decree" on the "establishment of a working group" regarding the functioning of a filtration point on the territory of the "DNR". Its purpose is to check "stateless persons" and "foreigners" residing in the "DNR" for reliability and loyalty to the "republic" and russia. In other words, check everyone who does not have a russian passport.
In the event that a person is deemed potentially dangerous to the state ("threat to national security"), they will, at best, be "expelled" (deported) beyond the borders of russia and the "DNR". Alternatively, they may face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Currently, an "interdepartmental working group" is being formed in Donetsk, which is responsible for implementing putin's decree and pushilin's "directive". It includes the head of the "DNR MIA’s" rear, Dmitry Yavorsky, the human rights ombudsman of the "DNR" Daria Morozova, and representatives from the administrations and ministries of the "republic". In fact, the fate of the people of Donbas who have refused to recognize russia as their new homeland and their ability to stay in their hometown depends on the decisions of these "judges".
Those who are interested in history should remember that during the Stalin era, the arbiters of human fate were the so-called "troikas". These were bodies of administrative (extrajudicial) repression within the republican, regional, and provincial branches of the USSR's NKVD (the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs), which were created to carry out operations of repression against "anti-Soviet elements". They operated in the USSR from August 1937 to November 1938. As we can see, the current rulers of russia and their minions from pseudo-formations are carrying on the traditions of "comrade Stalin" in a worthy manner.
Meanwhile, teenagers in the occupied territories do not accept the "cultural" values imposed by russia and demonstrate their attitude towards the "russian world" through their behavior. Unlike adults, they do not hold back their emotions and engage in risky actions. They may engage in verbal disputes with the military or remove the occupiers' flag from an administrative building. Naturally, their names are identified, and they are punished according to the scale of their "crime". For example, the youngsters from Mariupol were detained the next day after the incident on public transportation and forced to apologize for their "unacceptable" statements on the backdrop of the russian flag. The video was shared on all internet platforms.
Apparently, the young people deliberately provoked the soldier with russian insignia by shouting "Glory to Ukraine!" The soldier, of course, reacted, but the youngsters were just waiting for an opportunity to tell him what they thought: "We didn't invite you here, and yet you came and destroyed everything".
Two "violators of public order" who turned 18 years old had administrative protocols drawn up against them. They were escorted to the Budonnivskyi District Court in Donetsk, where they were sentenced to 3 to 5 days of arrest.
The Donetsk teenagers who tore down the flags of the "DNR" and russia from a "government building" were also identified "on the spot". The culprits turned out to be 13 and 15-year-old boys from the Petrovsky district. The boys were also forced to apologize for their "unlawful" act on camera. Their motive for the "misdeed" seemed comical - "we tore down the flags to hang them on the wall at home", - they said. Now I'm wondering whether the boys have a sense of humor or if the police are just idiots.
Naturally, the russian flag served as the backdrop for their "repentance". And since the "offenders" are still minors, the parents of the teenagers will bear administrative responsibility for the offense. They could face a "warning or an administrative fine ranging from 100 to 500 rubles".
After incidents like these, one becomes convinced that the occupiers can force everyone to obtain russian passports and even make them utter words of repentance on camera, but they can never make people think differently. It's highly unlikely that these young people will change their opinion about the aggressor and develop a sense of respect for the state that brought war and devastation to their homes. The state that "prohibits" having one's own opinion and expressing one's position. Today, they have learned a lesson from the situation and will only wait for the opportunity to openly speak their minds and express their feelings.
By Liusia Molchanova, Donetsk, for OstroV