In occupied Kherson region, only 10–20% of the pre-war population may remain: what Russia is doing

October 27, 2026, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported that Russia is continuing its policy of driving Ukrainian residents out of the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson Oblast and resettling citizens of the aggressor state there. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the occupiers are creating unbearable living conditions for local residents and unlawfully depriving them of their homes and other private property, while financially incentivizing Russians to move to seized Ukrainian lands. The DIU stresses that this is a deliberate policy of replacing the population in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

According to estimates cited by Ukrainian intelligence, before the Russian occupation, about 500,000 people lived on the left bank of Kherson Oblast. Today, the population in this area may be only 10–20% of its pre-war level, according to approximate estimates. These figures are estimates by the DIU, not the result of a current population census.

At the same time, Moscow continues to organize the relocation of Russian citizens to the occupied areas of Kherson Oblast. This is being done, among other things, through government programs recruiting education, healthcare, culture, and sports workers. These include “Zemsky Teacher,” “Zemsky Paramedic,” “Zemsky Doctor,” “Zemsky Cultural Worker,” and “Zemsky Coach.” According to the DIU, Russia offers participants in these programs one-time payments, higher salaries, and other benefits to encourage them to work in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories. The minimum contract term is 5 years. In particular, Russian teachers and doctors who agree to relocate to occupied Ukrainian territories are promised 2 million rubles each, while junior medical staff are promised 1 million rubles each.

Intelligence officials report that, since the programs began, hundreds of Russian teachers and doctors have already been brought to Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories. According to the information provided, they came from Krasnodar, Khabarovsk, Stavropol, and Perm Krais; the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug; and Volgograd, Rostov, Magadan, Saratov, Kursk, Orenburg, Kirov, and Leningrad Oblasts.

The regions of origin of the resettlers also include the republics of Ingushetia, North Ossetia, and Dagestan, as well as the cities of Belgorod, Saratov, Bryansk, Voronezh, Pskov, Tomsk, and Taganrog.

The DIU also draws particular attention to the role of these resettlers in the occupation system. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian medical workers in the seized territories are needed primarily to provide services to the occupying forces. The involvement of Russian teachers, the DIU notes, is one of the mechanisms used to indoctrinate Ukrainian children and erase their national identity.

Thus, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is simultaneously creating conditions to drive out local residents and encouraging its own citizens to resettle on seized Ukrainian lands. The DIU considers that this policy bears the hallmarks of war crimes and genocidal practices against the Ukrainian population.

We previously reported:

• Russians intimidate Ukrainians in occupied territories over their refusal to accept Russian passports: DIU reports “Illegal-2026” operation
• Another 11 children returned from Russian occupation in Kherson Oblast
• About 23 kilometers on foot: a family with a child leaves occupied Oleshky
• 21 Ukrainians returned from occupation: three families from Kherson Oblast stayed together
• Five children aged 3 to 15 returned from occupied Kherson Oblast