The Russian Federation appointed collaborator Yevgen Balytskyi as governor of the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region in May 2022. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, he began working for the occupiers. In a recent interview, Balytskyi openly admitted that the Russian occupation authorities carried out forced evictions of Ukrainians and confiscation of their property and also used “harder” methods of combating dissidents.
Previously, Balytskyi stated that Russia should seize the Baltic countries, Finland and Poland, because “Russian Empire subjects” live there.
The editors of online.ua investigated, through the evaluations of leading international and Ukrainian lawyers and experts, why Balytskyi’s confession is evidence of the illegal appropriation of property by the Russian occupiers and how it makes ground for the transfer of Russia’s frozen assets to Ukraine.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Balytsky’s statements about the illegal eviction of Ukrainian citizens who criticise the Russian occupation indicate that these actions are aimed at russification and confiscation of the property of the population in the occupied part of Ukraine through coercion and fear.
Balytskyi’s willingness to openly discuss — and even defend — the Russian occupation authorities’ illegal treatment of Ukrainian citizens in a publicized interview underscores the extent to which the Russian authorities support and promote such policies.
In an interview published on Feb. 20, Balytsky said that the Russian occupation authorities “evicted a large number of families.”
British lawyer and head of the international Payback4Ukraine campaign, Dr Jason McCue, emphasises that Balytskyi’s blatant confirmation of what was so apparent to the rest of the world — Russia’s policy of seeking to erase Ukrainian culture and Ukrainians from their lands — underlines that the Russian government does not respect international law and has no intention of returning to international fold or the rule based of law based system.
In an interview, occupation governor Balytskyi justifies the actions, which, according to ISW, are war crimes, brazenly asserting that the forced deportation of Ukrainian families was carried out “for their benefit”.
Ukrainian journalist Denys Kazansky emphasises that the open recognition by the Russians that Ukrainians who don’t want to go to Russia are forcibly evicted are the methods of the Nazis during the Second World War.
Occupation governor Balytsky also stated that the Russian occupation authorities had to make “extremely tough decisions” — a possible hint that the Russian occupation forces were executing Ukrainian citizens.
The Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun emphasises that Balytskyi openly declares that people who oppose the occupation will be deported. Moreover, he also alludes to the executions of Ukrainian residents of Melitopol.
The pro-Russian protege also added that people in the occupation were checked by the so-called “state security service”, which was created by the FSB during the occupation. They were looking for those connected in one way or another with the Ukrainian government or the army. Such people were often tortured.
The collaborator confirmed that the occupation authorities of the Russian Federation “gave the opportunity to leave” but evicted some families by force.
Ex-envoy of Ukraine’s President for children rights (2014-2021) and the NGO SaveUkraine founder, Mykola Kuleba, notes that Balytskyi’s interview can be considered vital for those looking for evidence of the genocide of the Ukrainian people and potential violations of international law, such as the Geneva Conventions.
An active opponent of Putin’s regime and the war in Ukraine, former world chess champion Harry Kasparov notes that Balytskyi boasts about war crimes, which the Kremlin’s servants in the West still try to deny.
Another crime of the occupiers is the forced passporting of Ukrainian citizens. However, according to the National Resistance Center, the plans for passporting, particularly in the Zaporizhzhia region, could not be implemented as of June 2023.
According to Ivan Fedorov, the head of Zaporizhzhia RMA, the occupiers planned to complete passporting by Jan. 1, 2024.
Ukraine’s Parliamental Commisioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets notes that forced passporting violates the norms of international law and the Geneva Convention on the Protection of the Civilian Population in Time of War.
The Russians use various methods of coercion to obtain a Russian passport, including refusal of employment and medical services.
On Feb. 29, 2024, Balytsky issued a new “decree” prohibiting hiring foreign citizens in certain areas, including Ukrainian citizens who refused to give Russian passports.
In another interview, Balytsky said that medical care would be refused to people with a Ukrainian passport in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region from the beginning of 2024.
About €300 billion are frozen globally, which this or that relation to Russia. Their largest share — €260 billion — is the sovereign Russia’s assets in the European Union and the G7 countries.
€210 billion are placed in financial institutions Euroclear and Clearstream in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Dr. Jason McCue notes that the idea has shifted from a “long-term confiscation process for Ukrainian reparations to immediate confiscation for the Ukrainian war effort.
The emphasis shifts from the general “for Ukraine” to “help in winning the war” (defence), humanitarian efforts and reparations in international statements about the purpose of such assets.
However, it is vital to manage the expectations because if all the Russian assets under sanctions are confiscated for wartime and state needs, what will be left to finance reparations to the population?
According to McCue, the interests of the war would be better served if part of the confiscated assets were simply directed to reparations for the population.
Political scientist and director of the World Policy Institute Yevhen Magda, commenting on Balytsky’s statements about confiscating property in the occupied territories, says that the intellectual abilities of Kremlin collaborators can sometimes serve Ukraine well.
It is worth reminding that it is not the first time that Balytsky has given an interview in which he publicly admits to the war crimes of the Russian occupiers.
In October 2023, the Gauleiter of the Zaporizhzhia region proudly told how Russia is taking grain elevators and land from local farmers and handing them over to the occupiers.
Ukrainian journalist Denys Kazanskyi notes that among such “taken” enterprises are “Berdyanski Zhnyvarky” and “Azmol.” These enterprises belonged to Medvedchuk’s associate, Oleksandr Ponomaryov, an MP from the forbidden pro-Russian political party “Opposition Platform—For Life”, who is in the SSU detention centre for treason. So, his friends are “taking” his business for themselves while he is in custody.
In another case, the Russian protege went even further, declaring that Russia should seize the Baltic states, Finland and Poland, because “Russian Empire subjects” lived there.