Evacuating from occupied Kherson region becomes much harder due to pressure and looting by Russian forces
The process of leaving the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson region has become significantly more difficult and dangerous.
According to Ukrinform, during a press conference on 8 January 2026, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, stated that Russian occupiers are using intimidation and psychological pressure against people trying to leave the region. Citizens are threatened with violence or persecution of relatives, creating a climate of constant fear that hinders evacuation to Ukrainian-controlled areas.
One new tool of control is the forced re-registration of private vehicles. The occupation administration actively confiscates or blocks civilian cars with Ukrainian plates, forcing owners to register them according to Russian law. This not only restricts civilian mobility but also acts as an additional filter to identify residents considered politically loyal to Ukraine.
In addition, looting has sharply increased in the occupied territories: Russian forces openly plunder private homes, taking property, household appliances, and personal belongings directly to their bunkers or permanent locations.
The situation is worsened by the lack of official humanitarian corridors, forcing people to seek alternative routes through third countries, which significantly increases the cost and duration of travel. Prokudin stressed that regional authorities continue to document all crimes committed by Russia against civilians for future submission to international courts. Residents who manage to escape occupation are provided with medical, psychological, and social support at transit hubs in Ukrainian-controlled areas.
Previously, on occupied Ukrainian territories, Russian forces introduced a new method of pressure against citizens who refuse to take Russian passports. Residents may be left without heating if they do not possess a Russian passport. Russia continues its criminal process of forcibly “passportising” the population in occupied Ukrainian territories, with the next targets likely to be people with disabilities.
