Putin Widens Citizenship Offer to All Residents Of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk Regions

From now on, the procedure for simplified citizenship of the Russian Federation applies to residents of the Donbass regions controlled by Kyiv. Russian passports have already received 10 thousand residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, reports Kommersant. Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased the number of Ukrainian citizens who can obtain Russian citizenship under simplified procedure. The corresponding decree No. 343 was published on the official internet-portal of legal information on Wednesday, July 17. In accordance with the document, Ukrainians who lived not only in “certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine” (that is, in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics), but also residents of the areas of Donbass controlled by Kyiv can now apply for Russian citizenship under simplified procedure. On April 24, Putin signed decree No. 183, allowing residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to obtain Russian citizenship under simplified procedure “in order to protect human rights and on the basis of universally recognized principles and norms of international law.” On April 29, another presidential decree No. 187 “Executive order on certain categories of foreign citizens and stateless persons entitled to fast-track procedure when applying for Russian citizenship” was issued. This decree had amends letting all residents of Donbass to apply for Russian passports. Issuance of passports is running at full tilt Despite the strong protests of the Ukrainian authorities and the West, in the territories of the self-proclaimed Donbass republics were opened points of reception of applications for Russian passports. The first passports issued under the new rules were handed over at the issuing points in the Rostov region of Russia on June 14. Kommersant, referring to sources in government agencies dealing with migration issues, reports that since the entry into force of decree number 183, residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions filed about 30 thousand applications for Russian citizenship. Another 20 thousand applications were filed by refugees and holders of other migration statuses who left the East of Ukraine after the outbreak of the armed conflict and are currently in the territory of the Russian Federation. As of July 17, Russian passports were received by about 10 thousand inhabitants of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. DW