We argue that varieties of Eastern Khanty (Ob-Ugric, Uralic) are not ergative languages but exhibit a system of differential subject marking (DSM) expressing information structural properties. In particular, morphological marking of the subject cannot arise due to a dependent case rule as syntactic proximity of the subject and the object is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for DSM to appear. We suggest instead, building on existing literature, that the DSM marker, syncretic with locative case, indicates that a morphologically marked subject is not a global but a local topic, highlighting its relevance for a particular stretch of discourse. Finally, we hypothesize that object agreement in Khanty expresses that an object is a local topic and discuss how DSM could be related to the locative-marking of logical subjects in passives across varieties in Khanty.