“They told me it was very difficult (to live) in Ukrainian-controlled territory, too,” Morozova said, “But I didn’t even want to listen, because we were set to leave (Lysychansk) after the New Year.”After nearly three years of all-out war, some internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine are opting to return to Russian-occupied areas due to the Ukrainian government’s failure to provide them with proper housing and enough financial aid to adequately resettle.An estimated one-third of the Ukrainian population, or nearly 14 million people, left their homes in 2022 following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Many have returned since, but at least 3.5 million remain internally displaced at the moment, according to the UN. Official data on how many people have returned to Russian occupation is difficult to obtain.