Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced changes to his earlier decree of February 18, 2017, on the recognition of "identification documents" issued by the "DPR" and "LPR" – the unrecognized entities in eastern Ukraine.
The new edition of Putin's Decree with the latest amendments was published on the official portal of legal information in Russia, according to Donbas News.
The wording "to citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently residing…" has been removed from the title and text of the Decree.
Read alsoMinister Reznikov compares Russia-occupied parts of Donbas to tumorAccording to the previous edition, the following "documents" were recognized as valid in Russia:
- Identification documents (so-called "DPR" and "LPR" passports);
- Education and (or) qualification certificates;
- Birth certificates, marriage (divorce), name change, and death certificates;
- Vehicle registration certificates; and
- License plates.
Due to the fact that earlier the decree contained the wording "to citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons", in addition to the recognized "documents", Russian authorities demanded a document confirming the citizenship of Ukraine or the status of a stateless person.
Now, in accordance with the amendments to Putin's decree, Russia recognizes "documents" issued by "DPR" and "LPR", regardless of their holder's citizenship.
Background
The so-called "DPR" and "LPR" are the two self-styled entities in eastern Ukraine that have not been internationally recognized.
The areas have been seized by Russian-controlled forces in 2014.
Ukraine has repeatedly stated that the occupation forces have been since receiving funding, weapons, and ammunition from Russia and have been generally governed from Moscow – something Russia vehemently denies despite massive evidence accumulated.
In April 2019, Putin signed a decree on the simplified procedure for granting Russian citizenship to residents of "certain districts" in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
In July 2019, Putin extended his decree to all residents from Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, also known as Donbas.
