Starting on 1 January 2024, Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territories will be denied medical services unless they consent to accept Russian passports,, Ukraine’s National Resistance Center reported.

This initiative, described as a “pilot project,” has already been implemented in Starobilsk, located in the Luhansk Oblast. Here, Ukrainians are being denied medical services if they do not possess a Russian passport. Furthermore, pharmacies in these areas have stopped providing medications under social programs to those without a Russian passport.

The National Resistance Center characterizes this policy as a deliberate act of genocide by the occupying forces aimed at the systematic eradication of the Ukrainian nation on their ethnic lands. This stark accusation highlights the growing humanitarian crisis in the occupied territories, where basic human rights, including access to healthcare, are being infringed upon.

This policy marks an escalation in the tactics employed by the Russian occupying forces, directly impacting the civilian population.

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