Moscow, March 20, (dpa/GNA) – Russia is expropriating thousands of land parcels in Crimea, the state agency Ria Novosti reported on Saturday, in defiance of opposition by Ukraine’s government.
A decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin forbids foreigners from owning land in most regions of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
The plots are mainly located in popular coastal regions such as Yalta, Kerch and Sudak,
According to the authorities, owners from 55 countries are affected – mainly from Ukraine, to which Crimea still belongs according to international law, but also from places such as Germany, Australia and Israel.
The new edict from Putin is a follow-up to a decree he issued one year ago. At that time, the holders of around 11,500 properties were given a one-year deadline to transfer them to new ownership.
The owners had a year to either sell their land to Russian citizens or companies, or to let the Russian state take care of the sale. In the latter case, the money would be transferred to the old owners.
The owners have complained that travel and contact restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic have made it difficult to carry out the 2020 decree.
Ukraine has protested the stripping of ownership and last year said it would pursue legal action in international courts.
Russia has justified the measure on security grounds.
In Crimea, the plots of land in the coastal regions on the Black Sea are particularly popular. In a few areas of Crimea, foreigners are still allowed to own land and apartments are not affected.
Russia annexed the peninsula seven years ago after a controversial referendum. The international community continues to see Crimea as part of Ukraine. The European Union and the United States, among others, have imposed sanctions on Russia because of the annexation.
GNA