Russia announced on Friday that it had “nationalized” 500 properties and assets in annexed Crimea, mostly belonging to Ukrainian oligarchs and banks, some of which will be used to finance the military intervention in Ukraine.
“Crimea parliamentarians supported (the draft law on) the nationalization of the property of Ukrainian oligarchs, assets of banks and factories operating in the republic,” read a statement from the regional parliament installed by Moscow after the annexation of this Ukrainian peninsula 2014
According to this press release, the bill was passed unanimously.
The president of the regional parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, pointed out on Telegram that the list drawn up “includes about 500 goods and assets related to various companies and banks, tourist and sports infrastructure”.
According to the Ria Novosti and TASS press agencies, the property of Rinat Akhmetov, the richest man in Ukraine, as well as billionaire Igor Kolomoiski, a dozen Ukrainian banks, several factories and those of the football club Dynamo Kyiv.
The total amount of “nationalized” property and assets was not immediately disclosed.
But “part of the profits should be destined to support the participants in the “special operation” in Ukraine, Mr. Konstantinov specified in Ria Novosti, in particular through “land allocation”, according to a clarification in the press release of the Diet.
The announcement comes amid a debate among Russia’s ruling elites over the possible confiscation of other assets – property and finance – belonging to Russians who have left the country, and has criticized the Kremlin’s military campaign in Ukraine from abroad.
Russia appropriated several Ukrainian infrastructures in the annexed regions at the end of September 2022, notably the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, located in the region of the same name, which is partly controlled by Moscow.