Mariupol occupier Anton Koltsov admits mass unauthorised squatting in others' apartments

Admission of the problem at the level of the occupation administration

Acting head of Mariupol Anton Koltsov officially acknowledged that the city has faced a large-scale housing problem. According to him, residents who lost their homes as a result of Russian aggression have begun to mass-squat in premises belonging to other people.

Conditions for remaining in others' apartments

Koltsov promised to address the situation where citizens are living in "foreign, essentially already municipal apartments". At the same time, he noted that some of these individuals are not subject to forced eviction. The head included the following in the category allowed to live peacefully in unauthorisedly occupied housing:

• residents who have already received compensation apartments, but which require repair and are temporarily unfit for habitation;
• veterans of combat actions and participants in the so-called "special operation";
• large families;
• disabled persons of the first and second groups with "severe disability".

In addition, the right to remain in a "municipal" apartment is granted to those who lived on this area before the start of the Russian occupation and were registered there as close relatives of the absent owner.

Warning to other residents

Anton Koltsov summarised that all other Mariupol residents who have moved into others' apartments through self-seizure must be ready to vacate them.