Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree extending the simplified procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship to persons permanently residing throughout Ukraine, as well as in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.

The document was published on the official Internet portal of legal information.

Changes are being made to the Decree of April 24, 2019 on determining the categories of persons who can apply for admission to Russian citizenship in a simplified manner, and the Decree of April 29, 2019 on certain categories of foreigners and stateless persons with a similar right.

“Establish that citizens of Ukraine, the Donetsk People’s Republic or the Luhansk People’s Republic and stateless persons permanently residing on the territory of the DPR, LPR or Ukraine ... have the right to apply for admission to the citizenship of the Russian Federation in a simplified manner,” the statement says. the text of the decree.

The document also discusses a number of other aspects related to the procedure for applying for Russian citizenship.

In particular, the legislative norm is supplemented by a clause according to which being in military service, as well as service in the security or law enforcement agencies of the LPR and DPR, cannot be a basis for refusing to obtain citizenship.

In addition, the opportunity to apply for a Russian passport in a simplified manner is available for citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons who have a migration card, a temporary residence permit or a residence permit in the Russian Federation, a refugee certificate, a certificate of temporary asylum on the territory of the Russian Federation or a certificate participant of the state program to assist the voluntary resettlement of compatriots living abroad, as well as their children, spouses and parents.

Recall that at the end of May, Vladimir Putin by his decree extended the simplified procedure for processing documents to residents of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions of Ukraine, now the legislative norm has been expanded to citizens living in other regions of the country.

The original law allowing residents of the DNR and LNR to apply for Russian citizenship in a simplified manner came into force in April 2019.

Commenting on the signing of this document, the President emphasized that it was a question of a humanitarian nature.

Putin noted that the inhabitants of the republics of Donbass for a long time were actually deprived of civil rights.

According to the data as of June 2022, which were published by TASS with reference to the press center of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 800,000 residents of the Donbass republics used the simplified procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship during this time.

Commenting on the new order of the head of state, the State Duma noted that we are talking about the country's position in relation to Ukrainian citizens.

“This decree is another confirmation that Russia does not abandon people in the face of the threat of neo-Nazism, which rules the show in Ukraine,” said Dmitry Belik, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, in an interview with RT.

According to the parliamentarian, it does not matter in which part of Ukraine people live who decide to be together with Russia.

“Our country will support this choice and make sure that bureaucratic moments and other nuances do not become an obstacle to it,” the deputy added.

In turn, Adalbi Shkhagoshev, a member of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, noted that we are talking about demonstrating a position in relation to ordinary citizens of Ukraine.

In his opinion, this decision confirms the intentions that Russia has been declaring for eight years.

“The Russians will be protected wherever they are,” the source said.