The Russian authorities are introducing new initiatives for governance in the occupied territories of Ukraine, including training officials and building prisons.

According to the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom on Twitter, the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration is launching a master's program in "State and Municipal Governance." This program, according to a university representative, will equip graduates with skills for working at all levels of government, including in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Additionally, Russia's Justice Minister, Konstantin Chuychenko, announced that Russia has established 58 federal penitentiary institutions in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

According to British intelligence, the creation of the master's program is likely aimed at addressing the shortage of willing and qualified personnel for Russian government positions in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This may be related to President Vladimir Putin's plans to create a new administrative elite, as mentioned in his address to the Federal Assembly last month, as well as the issuance of a presidential decree in January 2024 on creating a new personnel reserve.

"This is further evidence of Russification measures to align the legal and political frameworks of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. Other similar measures to date include extending the Russian justice system, imposing a Russian education curriculum, issuing Russian passports, and building Russian telecommunications infrastructure," the British Ministry of Defence notes.