Russian occupation forces are mulling to grant the status of "foreign citizens" to Ukrainians residing in the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas who are not holders of Russian passports.
Occupation administrations, by order of their Russian supervisors, are accelerating forced passportization of the population in the temporarily occupied territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to the press service of Ukraine's Defense Ministry with reference to the Main Intelligence Directorate.
"The invaders are considering the issue of introducing restrictions on civil rights to be applied to holders of Ukrainian passports, imposing on them the status of 'foreign citizens.' In particular, it is supposed to deprive them of their 'suffrage,' the ability to enter into civil transactions requiring notarization," reads the report.
Read alsoRussia "not in position" to push Ukraine toward own terms of Donbas settlement – EnvoyA Russian passport is a prerequisite for draft military service in the formations and units of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the Russian occupation forces. The Russian command retains strict control over the process of issuing Russian passports to military personnel.
"In addition, persons who obtained Russian passports in the temporarily occupied territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions are being recruited to the so-called 'peacekeeping' units to be deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh," the intelligence agency said.
Citizenship row in occupied Donbas
- MFA Ukraine demands Russia immediately cancel all decisions on passportization of Ukrainians
- Ukrainian embassies worldwide telling about Russia's "passport aggression"
- Zelensky: "Several moves" in the pipeline in response of Russia passports in Donbas
- Putin extends simplified Russian citizenship rules to all residents of Donetsk, Luhansk regions
- Russian passports issued to orphans in occupied Donbas
- Russia issues over 200,000 passports to Ukrainians in Donbas – Ukraine's envoy to UN
