Ukrainians sell apartments in cities that Russia may soon take

Ukrainians are fleeing the cities that could be taken by the Russian army. Apartment prices have already dropped by as much as 50 percent in Kharkiv. Housing sales have increased in Odessa as well, even if compared to 2022.

"People leave Kharkiv. They move to other regions of Ukraine or go abroad and sell their apartments at a discount of up to 50 percent. This is due to the expectation that Russia will sooner or later take over the city. Many also fear the monstrous mobilisation law that has been adopted in the country,” a realtor who fled Ukraine but still runs an agency in the county told 3MV.

"I have never seen such a deep crisis on the Kharkiv real estate market. Prices have hit the lowest, and apartments are so cheap because sellers understand that they are not coming back there," the agent said.

"Such apartments find their buyers among those who live east of Kharkiv. Those residing in suburbs and the Kharkiv region also buy flats in the city because they can get them for a price that is twice lower the market price," the man added.

"In Odessa, the situation is as follows. The number of real estate objects on sale has increased by 35-41 percent. Odessa is a "pearl by the sea,” and Odessa residents like to count their money. Therefore, prices in Odessa are still high. Still, many people flee from the future Russian Odessa, from mobilisation and all anarchy associated with it — it's hard to tell," the realtor said.

Some Odessa residents harbour hopes that Odessa will not be ruined completely when taken. They hope to sell apartments and plots of land to wealthy Russians afterwards. Odessa residents also remember that housing and land prices rose in Crimea and even in Donetsk after Russia made those regions its territories.

It is worthy of note that leading Western military analytical centres (such as Stratfor, ISW, etc.) suggested that in order to create a buffer zone, Russia would take the following territories of Ukraine:

• Odessa and Odessa region
• Nikolaev and Nikolaev region
• Kharkiv and Kharkiv region
• Chernigov, Sumy regions
• The remaining parts of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions that remain under Ukraine's rule.