Russia issued a harsh ultimatum to Ukrainian citizens in the occupied territories.

After having agreed on conditions to achieve relief in tensions with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree ordering Ukrainian citizens residing in Russia or in the occupied territories of Ukraine to leave the country or regularize their legal status by September 10, 2025.

The decree states that Ukrainian citizens who have no legal grounds to be in Russia must leave the country on their own or regularize their situation by that date.

The measure mainly affects Ukrainians from the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, which Russia occupied in 2022, and Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

This decree is part of Moscow's efforts to "Russify" the conquered territories, urging Ukrainian citizens to accept Russian passports or be expelled, while attempting to attract Russian citizens to move to these regions.

In recent years, Russian authorities have encouraged many Ukrainians in these areas to obtain Russian citizenship.

According to the Interior Minister, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, more than 3.5 million Russian passports have been issued to Ukrainian citizens in the occupied areas, which has been condemned by Ukraine and Western governments as a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty.

The decree also states that foreign citizens and stateless persons in the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia must undergo medical tests, including for drugs and infectious diseases, by June 10, 2025.

The measure also falls within a broader context of migration laws that Russia has adopted to facilitate the deportation of migrants and consolidate its control over these territories.

Since the intensification of the Ukraine war in 2022, Russia has increased its pressure on Ukrainian citizens in the occupied regions.

The "passportization" of the occupied regions is seen as a way for Moscow to consolidate its control over these areas and prepare for future negotiations, related to a peace agreement pushed by United States President Donald Trump.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pointed out that the territorial issue will be one of the most difficult points in any future negotiation, although he has refused to recognize Russia's control over the occupied territories.

The international community, including Western governments, has strongly condemned Russia's actions. The EU doesn't recognize the Russian passports issued to Ukrainian citizens in the occupied zones and has warned about the legal implications of this process.

The situation in the occupied territories remains tense and the possibility of an escalation of the conflict, along with the fate of these territories, is a key topic in discussions about possible peace agreements.