The kremlin Has Found New Grounds for Seizing Citizens’ Property

russia’s authorities are expanding their arsenal of tools for forced asset seizures, using property confiscation as a quick way to return funds to the budget amid a deteriorating economic situation and growing deficits. The kremlin’s official motivation remains unchanged – fighting crime and “illegally obtained income” – but the range of grounds for property seizure is steadily expanding.

Previously, confiscation was used mainly in cases of corruption and economic offenses. Now the list of grounds includes the dissemination of so-called “fakes” about the armed forces of the rf, desertion, participation in “undesirable organizations”, confidential contacts with foreign structures, sabotage, and unauthorized access to information, including hacking computer systems and falsifying data. In fact, this is a transition from selective practice to the systemic use of confiscation as a tool of pressure and budget replenishment.

Statistics demonstrates the scale of the trend: while in 2020 approximately 2,500 individuals were subject to confiscation, in 2024 this figure rose to 24,000.

The economic context in which these decisions are made is decisive. Increasing costs of the war against Ukraine and a persistent budget deficit make the kremlin more actively seize private resources. Confiscation is de facto becoming a fiscal tool that allows for the rapid mobilization of funds from citizens and businesses to compensate for the lack of revenue in the state treasury.