About 20,000 citizens of occupied Donbas filed the applications for the obtaining of the Russian citizenship as Glavred reported, citing Georgiy Tuka, the Deputy Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs.
“The number of issued passports is quite modest. But the number of the accepted documents-applications, according to my estimations, makes about 19-20,000 as for today,” he stated.
According to Tuka, Russia issued its passports to about 1,000 citizens of occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. However, the pensioners and people of pensionable age mostly get the refusals in obtaining of the Russian citizenship.
Tuka added that the mercenaries of 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the Russian Armed Forces and local officials get the Russian passports on separate procedures and separate lists.
“In Donbas, not many people express the desire to get the Russian passport; there is are no lines of those willing to get it,” he added.
On June 14, it was reported that the citizens of occupied Donbas began to get the passports of the Russian Federation. These IDs were registered in the simplified order in accordance with the April order of the Russian president.
Foreign Ministry of Ukraine condemned such measures stating about the intention to continue work on the imposing of proper sanctions against Russia.
Head of the EU Delegation in Ukraine Hugues Mingarelli stated that the EU leaders will discuss the issuance of the Russian passports to the citizens of occupied Donbas soon.
