Russia steps up pressure on civilians in occupied Ukraine
Russia is stepping up pressure on civilians in occupied parts of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials, whose forces have stepped up their attacks behind enemy lines in anticipation of a widely expected counter-offensive.
After 14 months of war, the attack could represent a critical opportunity not only for Ukraine to regain territory, but also to try to persuade its Western allies to send even more arms and aid. Ahead of the campaign, and still recovering from their costly and stumbling winter offensivemany Russian troops have shifted to defensive positions.
Despite the staggering losses, Russia still controls a large part of Ukrainian territory. But Ukrainian forces repeatedly hit Russian positions far from the front, and on Tuesday Russian authorities reported more shelling and – for the second day in a row – an explosion that derailed a freight train in the Russian border area.
Russian authorities in occupied territory, wary of attacks by Ukrainian partisans and special forces, have imposed strict new measures on civilians. Recently, they have “reinforced” counterintelligence units and are restricting travel between cities and towns, Ukraine’s military high command said on Tuesday.
Last week, the Kremlin ordered anyone in occupied territory who did not accept a Russian passport be removed from their homesan edict that Ukrainian military and local officials say has created confusion and fear among residents.
According to the National Resistance Center, a Ukrainian government agency, undercover Russian security agents have also gone to work in crowded public areas to track down members of the Ukrainian resistance.
The plainclothes officers often strike up a conversation “to find ‘unfaithful’ civilians”, the agency warned. Ukrainians who “take the bait are forced to continue cooperating with the Russian occupation regime,” it said.
It is virtually impossible to independently verify much of what is happening in the Russian-occupied territory, as independent journalists, humanitarian groups and international observers are rarely allowed access by Russian authorities.
But the Kremlin has made no secret of its efforts to incorporate the regions into Russia.
Even before President Vladimir V. Putin announced in September the annexation of four Ukrainian provinces, an action widely condemned as illegal, Russian troops carried out measures to Russify the Internet and other elements of daily life such as school curricula and currency.
Ukrainian officials typically call on people living in occupied territories to oppose Russia by any means necessary, but they have offered mixed advice on how to respond to recent pressure. While the Ukrainian human rights commissioner people urged to get Russian passports for their own safety, a deputy prime minister advised against taking them.
Serhii Khlan, a deputy administrator of the Kherson Regional Council, told Ukrainian television late Monday it turned out that there was “huge” pressure on the local population. He said people feared they would be considered “collaborators” if they accepted passports.
Civilians in once-occupied territories do described torture and ill-treatment by Russian authorities, and an atmosphere of intense fear and paranoia about who might be working with the Russians and who might have ties to the Ukrainian military or special forces.
Russia accuses Ukraine of carrying out attacks far behind the frontline. Ukrainian officials usually refuse confirm or deny responsibility, but say they reserve the right to attack places used as staging areas for attacks on Ukraine. According to this rationale, Ukrainian forces periodically hit targets in Russia.
In the Bryansk region, a village less than five miles from the border with Ukraine came under shellfire on Tuesday morning, marking the third consecutive day of explosions in the area. The shelling caused a fire, but there were no casualties, the regional governor, Aleksandr V. Bogomaz, told Telegram. He blamed the Ukrainian military, although the claim could not be independently verified.
Later in the day the Russian railway company said on Telegram that about 20 wagons of a freight train were derailed due to the “illegal interference” of “external” actors – the second derailment reported in the region in two days.
“An unidentified explosive device went off near Snezhetskaya railway station,” Mr Bogomaz said.
Sunday he said four people in the region were killed by Ukrainian shelling. And on Monday an explosion causing a freight train to derail in the region. The governor blamed an unidentified explosive device and the country’s rail service said “a break-in by unauthorized persons” led to a fire.
In March, Ukrainian special forces said they had destroyed an unmanned watchtower in Bryansk and partisans claiming to be fighting for Ukraine made an armed raid into a village there, which led to emergency measures from the Kremlin.
Victoria Kim contributed reporting from Seoul.