Just over three years since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia occupies nearly one fifth of Ukrainian territory. Some areas—such as Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions—have been under Russia’s control since 2014. Yet occupation remains one of the least understood aspects of the war. This was the conclusion of three panelists at a recent Kennan Institute discussion. How can an issue that has been at the heart of global attention for over three years still be so poorly understood? 

Part of the answer has to do with difficulties of reporting from the occupied territories, said Katerina Sergatskova, a veteran war reporter and co-founder of the independent news organization Zaborona and the 2402 Foundation for Safety, which helps journalists and civil society actors in Ukraine. Sergatskova has been reporting on the Russian invasion from its very first days in 2014. When the full-scale invasion began in 2022, she watched thousands of journalists rush to the frontlines without basic protective gear, such as helmets or bullet-proof vests, and with no survival skills. 

Since then, Ukraine has proved to be one of the most dangerous places for reporters, with journalists facing deadly gunfire, arrests, and disappearances. The latest reporter to have lost her life at the hands of the Russian military was Tetyana Kulyk, who was killed in a Russian drone strike just two weeks ago, on February 26. Kulyk is one of seventeen reporters estimated to have been killed since the start of the full-scale invasion. Dozens more have been injured. Some 30 Ukrainian journalists are “held in Russian captivity,” writes Sergatskova. After witnessing atrocities and widescale destruction, many suffer from anxiety, burnout, and PTSD. This combination of factors has left vast areas of Ukraine as “news deserts”—regions with little to no journalistic coverage and no access to reliable local news.

The consequences of news deserts go far beyond the issue of freedom of the press. For those living under the occupation, the lack of reliable information means having insufficient information to make decisions critical to survival. Should my child go to school or is it too dangerous? Is the local hospital still functioning? “The media is a critical infrastructure—accurate, truthful information can help people survive, while disinformation or fake news can kill,” Sergatskova observes. 

Scholars likewise have a hard time collecting accurate information about life in the occupied territories. “Occupied societies represent distinct social phenomena,” said Yuliia Soroka, a Ukrainian cultural sociologist. Societies under occupation transform in multiple ways compared to peace time, starting with demographics: the population of the occupied territories of Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts has dropped from some 9 million prior to 2014, to the current 6 million, according to Mykhailo Minakov, the editor-in-chief of this blog and Kennan Institute’s senior advisor for Ukraine. The remaining population consists primarily of women, children, and the elderly, with the number of children estimated at 1.5 million—or 25 percent. 

Living under a hostile power imposes its own norms on locals and reshapes social dynamics further, says Soroka. Compelled to focus on survival strategies, individuals are forced to adapt their routines in complex ways: On the one hand, they strengthen relationships of trust with those in their immediate family circle; on the other, they are often forced to “forge connections with representatives of the invaders.” Even their natural environment is now permanently altered, with the war’s impact on Ukraine’s environment increasingly described as catastrophic.

Life in the occupied territories is marked by constant instability, said Soroka, pointing to destroyed economic infrastructure, which leads to insecurity, shortages of essential goods, and hunger. Exposure to violence, such as gunfire, shelling and drone attacks, requires constant recalibration of risk. Even an occupied territory is far from the frontlines, people encounter violence, and reminders of violence, on a daily basis. Armed individuals in the streets, ruined buildings, and remnants of military equipment serve as reminders of war and the danger it entails. Gender-based violence presents an additional threat. As of June 2024, some 400 Ukrainian women were held captive by the Russian military, including civilians who were captured in occupied territories. Some have been imprisoned for over a decade, reports documentary filmmaker Katerina Fomina. Those who have returned report having been subjected to sexual violence, humiliation, torture and forced labor, as well as being forced to participate in Russian propaganda videos. 

Sergatskova shares Soroka’s conclusion that occupied societies are profoundly reshaped. In her article “Occupation Changes Life Forever,” she compares occupation with a flood. The water may not “reach every house at the same time” right away and may temporarily stop when it meets a wall or a fence. But gradually, it seeps through cracks, ultimately engulfing everything in its way. The metaphor extends beyond the physical: it suggests that occupation infiltrates communities and disrupts them from within, inflicting lasting societal damage and leaving permanent scars on individuals and communities. Even for those who don’t openly resist and manage to maintain their daily routines without attracting the authorities’ wrath, the damage is real. “The longer occupation lasts, the harder it is for a society to return to normality,” writes Sergatskova, noting that occupation leaves behind “broken families, and severed ties between neighbors.” 

Additional long-lasting scars come from witnessing fellow community members collaborate with the violence of the occupying forces. Identifying the line between survival and collaboration can be difficult. “We see people trying to keep their loyalty to Ukraine and adapt to the Russian occupational regime to diminish the risks and threats to their family,” said Minakov. According to him, Russia has been using techniques it developed in Chechnya, as well as in the Ukrainian territories it has occupied since 2014, to suppress resistance and integrate and control the local population. 

Ukrainian resilience since the start of the full invasion has been extraordinary. Yet the picture that is likely to emerge once the war is over will be more complex than many realize. Understanding the disruptions and irreversible changes that have taken place under occupation will be crucial for those seeking to assist Ukraine’s post-war recovery. 

The opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author and do not reflect the views of the Kennan Institute.