DISINFO: Russian citizens living in Ukraine are objects of genocide
SUMMARY
Many cities in eastern and southern Ukraine such as Kyiv, Chernihiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhya, Kharkiv and Kirovohrad are Russian cities. Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens who are now living in Ukraine are objects of genocide.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets, claiming that Ukrainian cities with a large proportion of Russian speakers are Russian per se and that Russians in Ukraine are persecuted and oppressed.
No evidence is provided to support the claim of genocide.
In reality, all these cities are within Ukraine’s borders as recognised by the United Nations and other international institutions. Articles 10 and 11 of the Constitution guarantee the free development of the languages and cultures of Ukraine’s ethnic minorities, including Russian-speakers.
Over 500,000 people in occupied Donbas have Russian passports. Russia illegally launched a massive passportisation campaign there in 2019 to change the balance of the population in favour of Russian citizens. Nonetheless, Ukraine treats bearers of Russian passports from Donbas as its own citizens and does not recognise their Russian documents. Nor does the European Union recognise Russian passports issued in Donbas.
According to unofficial data, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians hold passports of other countries. Article 4 of the Ukrainian Constitution reads that there is only one citizenship in the country. Nonetheless, all these people are not persecuted by law because there is no punishment for holding multiple citizenships in Ukraine's penal code. Nor are those Ukrainians holders Russian passports from Donbas persecuted for this fact.
Read more disinformation narratives about Ukraine allegedly perpetrating genocide against Russians.