Bellingcat’s investigation into the Russification of Mariupol exposed the illegal tactics being used to seize residential property in the occupied territory and repopulate the city with Russian citizens, further displacing Ukrainians impacted by conflict.
The aim of this project was to apply open source research methods to raise public awareness about the human rights abuses being committed in Mariupol, where 90 percent of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Relying on extensive geolocation, satellite imagery and social media analysis, visual evidence verification and archiving, this investigation revealed how the city’s identity is being systematically erased. It identified at least 6,000 new apartments across 23 multi-storey housing complexes that are advertised for sale, with low interest rate loans, to Russian citizens. Meanwhile, many of the original Ukrainian owners cannot return home or continue to live in perilous conditions. To reclaim their properties they must first become Russian citizens.
The UN’s Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing told us that Russia’s housing policies in occupied Ukrainian territories were in breach of the most basic rules of international law. The Institute for the Study of War said its campaign of seizing real estate Ukraine was aimed at generating profit and populating areas with Russian citizens.
This investigation marked the first time Bellingcat has comprehensively documented this often-overlooked and underreported reality of war. The result was a striking and timely piece of visual digital storytelling – thoroughly researched, clearly presented, concise and engaging. Most importantly, this work adds verifiable evidence to the public record about the atrocities committed in Ukraine.
