In a decree issued on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi listed regions of Russia that were “historically” inhabited by Ukrainians and demanded respect for their rights, a text that is likely to anger Moscow, AFP reported.

The document published by the Ukrainian presidency mentions Krasnodar, Rostov, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh and Kursk regions, which border Ukraine.

In the decree, Russia is accused of committing and continuing to commit “actions aimed at destroying the national identity and oppressing Ukrainians, violating their rights and freedoms.”

Thus, Zelensky asks the government of Ukraine to develop an “action plan for preserving the national identity of Ukrainians in the Russian Federation, including in the regions of their historical residence.”

The executive branch must also define “crimes committed against Ukrainians who live or have lived there,” according to the decree, which condemns the forced Russification, political repression and deportation of Ukrainians.

Millions of ethnic Ukrainians live on Russian territory as a result of tsarist and Soviet rule, shifting borders and deportations from the Stalin era.

Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has also been accused of violently Russifying the territories it occupied, rewriting history and deporting people, especially children. Russia is also accused of oppressing residents who refuse to accept Russian citizenship.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied the existence of the Ukrainian nation, claiming that Ukrainians belong to the Russian world and that their identity is an artificial entity.