Russian Occupation Update, June 30, 2025
Author: Karolina Hird
Data cut-off: 11am ET, June 30
ISW’s Russian Occupation Update tracks the activities that occur in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. The Occupation Updates examine Russian efforts to consolidate administrative control of annexed areas and forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into Russian sociocultural, economic, military, and governance systems. This product line replaces the section of the daily Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment covering activities in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.
To read ISW’s assessment of how Russian activities in occupied areas of Ukraine are part of a coerced Russification and ethnic cleansing campaign, click here.
Key Takeaways:
- Russian occupation administrators continue efforts to incentivize Russians and loyalists to relocate to occupied Ukraine.
- The Russian federal Unified Institute for Spatial Planning (EIPP) announced plans on June 30 to develop the “tourist potential” of occupied Ukraine. Russia’s insistence on treating occupied Ukraine as a viable tourist destination is a potential violation of international law.
- Russia is likely to leverage the new occupation head of Mariupol to deepen links between the occupied city and Russian federal subjects and to pursue the proliferation of profitable development projects.
- The Russian youth military-patriotic activism group “Movement of the First” is expanding its influence in occupied Ukraine.
- Russia continues sending Ukrainian children to summer camps and military-patriotic programs across the Russian Federation.
Russian occupation administrators continue efforts to incentivize Russians and loyalists to relocate to occupied Ukraine. Kherson Oblast occupation head Vladimir Saldo told Russian newswire RIA Novosti on June 26 that Russia is building a new resort city on the Arabat Spit in occupied Henichesk Raion, southeastern Kherson Oblast.[1] Saldo noted that the new city will house 30,000 people and that veterans of the war in Ukraine will receive preferential terms for land plots in it. Russia already has a policy in place distributing free land plots to veterans of the war in Ukraine throughout the Russian Federation and in occupied Crimea and has used land plots to incentivize recruitment into the Russian military.[2] Russian occupation officials also frequently use the promise of modern, recently renovated properties and preferential mortgages to encourage Russians to relocate to occupied Ukraine from Russia.[3] Such programs are premised on Russia’s desire to repopulate occupied Ukraine with Russians in order to strengthen Russia’s direct control over occupied areas and complicate Ukrainian efforts to reintegrate its territories and people.[4]
The Russian federal Unified Institute for Spatial Planning (EIPP) announced plans on June 30 to develop the “tourist potential” of occupied Ukraine. The EIPP, a subordinate entity to the Russian Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Utilities, stated that it identified opportunities for the development of “health and wellness tourism” in occupied Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia oblasts and “cultural and educational, sports, military-patriotic, industrial, and pilgrimage tourism” in occupied Luhansk Oblast.[5] The EIPP project includes plans for the development of transportation infrastructure to facilitate the movement of tourists to occupied areas of Ukraine. The EIPP stressed that the development of tourism in occupied Ukraine is “a strategic direction” for Russia. The EIPP also created a plan for the development of several cities and districts in occupied Zaporizhia Oblast, largely intended to link transportation logistics to tourism projects.[6] ISW has previously reported on EIPP’s role in creating and implementing infrastructure projects throughout occupied Ukraine, and continues to assess that such projects allow Russia to simultaneously integrate occupied Ukraine into the Russian sphere of influence while also setting conditions to generate revenue off of the occupation.[7] Russia’s insistence on treating occupied Ukraine as a viable tourist destination is notable: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has turned these areas into active combat zones, and continued Russian plans to attract tourists to occupied areas is both irresponsible and a potential violation of international law.[8]
Russia is likely to leverage the new occupation head of Mariupol to deepen links between the occupied city and Russian federal subjects and to pursue the proliferation of profitable development projects. Anton Koltsov replaced Oleg Morgun as the head of occupied Mariupol on June 28.[9] Koltsov previously served as deputy governor of Russia’s Vologda Oblast from 2016 to 2022 and as chairman of the Zaporizhia Oblast occupation government from 2022 to May 2024.[10] In a Telegram post celebrating his new position, Koltsov claimed that his priorities for occupied Mariupol will include developing and improving residential infrastructure, property management, and attracting investment and entrepreneurship in order to make Mariupol a “modern, comfortable Russian city.”[11] Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) Head Denis Pushilin stated on June 30 that Koltsov should focus on Mariupol’s economic development and interacting with Russian patron regions and cities, particularly St. Petersburg.[12] Occupation administrations maintain close patronage ties with various Russian regions in order to funnel Russian investment into the rebuilding and development of occupied areas, as ISW has previously reported.[13] Russia is additionally engaged in substantial building projects in Mariupol, which have become the cornerstone of Russia’s economic, trade, and property acquisition policy in occupied Ukraine.[14] The Kremlin likely identified Koltsov as an effective person to head the Mariupol occupation administration due to his pre-existing relationships with Russian regional leadership and hopes that Koltsov will pursue an economic and development strategy in Mariupol that will increase the profitability of the occupation.
The Russian youth military-patriotic activism group “Movement of the First” is expanding its influence in occupied Ukraine. “Movement of the First” chairman for occupied Kherson Oblast Oleksiy Lavrentyev announced during a meeting with Kherson Oblast occupation head Vladimir Saldo on June 25 that “Movement of the First” plans to open new branches in the occupied Verkhnii Rohachyk, Velyka Lepetykha, and Hornostaivka raions of Kherson Oblast.[15] Lavrentyev claimed that “Movement of the First” staff numbers in occupied Kherson Oblast have increased by almost four times, and that the new branches will open by end of Summer 2025. Saldo summarized the results of his meeting with “Movement of the First” coordinators on June 25, noting that the organization plans to launch a youth publication focusing on stories of Russian veterans of the Great Patriotic War (World War 2) and Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as to create a media school.[16] The Sevastopol City occupation council also met with “Movement of the First” representatives on June 27 to discuss maximizing interactions between “Movement of the First” and Sevastopol occupation authorities.[17] “Movement of the First” has reportedly registered 86 local offices in occupied Sevastopol alone. ISW has reported at length on how “Movement of the First” functions as a tool of Russification, militarization, and indoctrination throughout occupied Ukraine, and assesses that this organization is taking steps to further penetrate communities in occupied areas.[18]
Russia continues sending Ukrainian children to summer camps and military-patriotic programs across the Russian Federation. Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) Head Denis Pushilin claimed on June 26 that 2,700 children from occupied Donetsk Oblast will “vacation” in Russia, 17,000 will travel to Russian patron regions, and 4,000 will take part in the “University Shifts” college exchange program.[19] Kherson Oblast occupation outlet Tavria TV reported on June 26 that a group of teenagers from occupied Nova Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast, is in Moscow Oblast as part of the “Cultural Map 4+85” program and visited the “Atom” nuclear energy exhibit.[20] Other occupied Kherson Oblast–based sources reported that the “Vulkan 7” team (comprised of Ukrainian middle- and high-school-aged students) from occupied Chaplynka attended the district stage of the “Zarnitsa 2.0” military-patriotic game in Russia’s Volgograd Oblast, where they participated in small arms fire, tactical first aid, and drone operation competitions.[21] Russian summer camp programs, military-patriotic training courses like “Zarnitsa 2.0”, and programs like “University Shifts” and “Cultural Map 4+ 85” bring Ukrainian children to Russia with the express purpose of exposing them to Russian culture, history, and ideals, and are therefore a powerful tool of Russification and indoctrination.[22] These programs likely amount to the illegal deportation or forced removal of these Ukrainian children, as the goal of these programs is to destroy Ukrainian identity and propagate pro-Russian ideals in Ukrainian youth.[23] Russia plans to forcibly remove and deport over 53,000 Ukrainian children to such summer camps and summer programs in Summer 2025 alone.[24]
[1] https://ria dot ru/20250626/gorod-2025486983.html
[2] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-27-2024; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-29; https://khpg dot org/en/1608813695; https://t.me/eastgtoup/758
[3] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-29; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-march-31-2025; https://isw.pub/UkrWar082023; https://isw.pub/UkrWar120823; https://isw.pub/UkrWar042623
[4] https://cepa.org/article/behind-the-lines-ethnic-cleansing-by-home-loan/; https://understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/24-210-01%20ISW%20Occupation%20playbook.pdf
[5] https://eipp dot ru/news/2025/%D0%B5%D0%B8%D0%BF%D0%BF-%D1%80%D1%84-%D0%B4%D0%BE-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B0-2025-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5-%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5-%D1%81%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%8B-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85-%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B1%D1%8A%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D1%80%D1%84.html
[6] https://www.zap dot kp.ru/daily/27718.5/5106498/
[7] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-march-31-2025; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-june-3-2025; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-may-15-2025
[8] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-june-19-2025; https://guide-humanitarian-law.org/content/article/3/occupied-territory/; https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gciv-1949/article-49
[9] https://t.me/KoltsovAnton/214; https://tass dot ru/politika/24382877
[10] https://tass dot ru/politika/24382877
[11] https://t.me/KoltsovAnton/214
[12] https://www.donetsk.kp dot ru/online/news/6447448/
[13] https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate061725; https://understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/24-210-01%20ISW%20Occupation%20playbook.pdf
[14] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-may-5-2025; https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate042125; https://isw.pub/RussianOccupationUpdate041025; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-march-31-2025
[15] https://tass dot ru/obschestvo/24355771
[16] https://t.me/SALDO_VGA/8093
[17] https://deti.gov dot ru/Press-Centr/region-news/18475
[18] https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate061725; https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate061225; https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate060425; https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate050125; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-march-31-2025
[19] https://t.me/PushilinDenis/6826
[20] https://tavria dot tv/news/society/yunye-novokahovchane-posetili-v-moskve-innovaczionnyj-czentr-atom/
[21] https://tavria dot tv/news/shkolniki-chaplinki-voshli-v-chislo-prizyorov-zarniczy-2-0-v-volgograde/; https://www.herson.kp dot ru/online/news/6438399/
[22] https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate061225; https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate061225; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-april-28-2025; https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate041725; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-june-19-2025
[23] https://files-profile.medicine.yale.edu/documents/8c54abb4-3c6d-4b5c-be05-727f612afccc; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-june-3-2025; https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate051525; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-may-5-2025; https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate050125; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-april-28-2025; https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate041725
[24] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-april-28-2025
