The Government Commission on Legislative Activities has supported the proposal to transfer residential properties on the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia that show signs of being ownerless into state ownership. The publication "Vedomosti" disseminated this information, citing informed sources.
According to the publication's interlocutors, the bill prepared by the Ministry of Construction received the commission's approval on October 20. Russian authorities have already been implementing the practice of seizing "abandoned" housing in the occupied Ukrainian territories, but now plan to formalize this mechanism at the federal legislation level.
Under the provisions of the document, property may be recognized as ownerless if it is impossible to identify its owner or if the occupation administrations lack valid documents confirming ownership rights. This was explained to the publication by Alexander Yakubovsky, a member of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Utilities, and a deputy from "United Russia."
The procedure for assigning ownerless property status will be carried out based on inventory data, information from registration authorities, and inspection reports. As "Vedomosti" notes, citing the text of the bill, several disposal options are envisaged for housing transferred to state ownership.
Such property may be allocated to Russian citizens residing in the occupied territories of Ukraine who have lost their homes due to military actions, terrorist acts, or sabotage. An important condition, according to the publication, is that the applicants must not have any other habitable housing or share in it.
The return of housing to previous owners is possible provided they personally arrive in the annexed region within a one-month period after the property is recognized as ownerless.
Additionally, the bill provides for the possibility of allocating such property as official housing for employees of state and municipal institutions, military personnel, law enforcement officers, teachers, and medical workers.
As Yakubovsky stated, the adoption of this bill will create a legal basis for providing housing to individuals who lost it due to military actions and will systematize the use of the ownerless housing stock in the annexed Ukrainian territories.
According to Rosreestr, 550,000 real estate properties identified as ownerless have been discovered in the captured Ukrainian territories. These figures were cited in August by the head of the agency, Oleg Skufinsky.