Ukraine Issues Ominous Warning to Potential Russia Collaborators

Ukrainian officials have issued a chilling warning to would-be Russian collaborators in its annexed regions, saying that they will be "liquidated."

The National Resistance Center of Ukraine (NRCU), a branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, directed a stark message at potential collaborators in the eastern and southern areas occupied by the Kremlin's forces.

The warning comes amid concerns that Russia will possibly complete the formal and territorial integration of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia by the end of the year.

Last year, the four regions voted to integrate with Moscow, which led President Vladimir Putin to justify their annexation into Russia proper. But the U.S. and its allies slammed the referendum results and described them as a "sham."

"The National Resistance Center reminds all collaborators and those who intend to help the enemy that by cooperating with the occupation authorities, you will be liquidated or convicted in accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine," the center said in a December 23 post on its website.

According to the NRCU, Russia has faced "significant problems" with recruiting qualified personnel to assist in the process of granting Russian citizenship to people in the occupied regions.

The organization was founded following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and offers advice to civilians about how to engage in non-violent resistance.

Newsweek has contacted the NRCU, the Kremlin, and other Russian ministries for comment via email.

The regions are tactically vital for Russia as they provide an uninterrupted land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, which it forcibly annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

But the territorial integrity of the occupied regions remains contested by Ukraine and both Kyiv and Moscow are continuing to fight for control.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), said in its December 23 report that Russian authorities aim to consolidate administrative control of the regions and forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into the country's governance systems.

"Russian occupation authorities are building out electoral infrastructure in occupied Ukraine to set conditions for the upcoming presidential election," the ISW report said.

"Russian sources reported on December 23 that election headquarters began collecting signatures for Russian President Vladimir Putin's nomination in occupied Crimea and Zaporizhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk Oblasts.

"Kremlin newswire TASS noted that occupation authorities opened a signature-collection point in Henichesk, occupied Kherson Oblast, in a local market for the 'convenience' of residents, suggesting that occupation officials are co-locating election infrastructure with basic service infrastructure to coerce people into participating in electoral processes."

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