Russia has declared hundreds of hotels in occupied Ukraine ‘ownerless.’ Dozens have been taken over — but one Ukrainian hotelier is fighting back.

Russian authorities have labelled more than 7,000 private and commercial properties in occupied Zaporizhzhia “ownerless”, including 521 hotels and resort complexes, according to a Reuters investigation. At least 77 hotel properties have changed hands, with 20 transferred to government entities; Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry describes the policy as a legal cover for state-organised theft.

Denys Katyukha, the Ukrainian owner of the 100-room Admiral hotel, says authorities gave him three days in 2022 to confirm ownership, but rejected his father’s Ukrainian passport and the hotel’s documents. Nine days later, the hotel was placed under a Russian state organisation’s management and continued operating. A Ukrainian court awarded Katyukha $5.1 million in damages, but Russia does not recognise its jurisdiction; he has also filed a claim with the Ukraine damage register, which has no payment mechanism yet.