The issuance of passports and registration of Russian citizenship in Kherson and Zaporozhye will take place taking into account the similar experience of Crimea in 2014. This was announced on Friday, May 27, by Georgy Muradov, permanent representative of the republic under the presidential administration of the Russian Federation.
“As for practical measures, Crimea <…> will provide all possible assistance, taking into account its serious experience in this matter. This is confirmed by the leadership of the republic. It is important that everything goes in an organized manner so that people can quickly resolve all the formalities that arise with documentary support for citizens, ”he said in an interview with TASS.
According to Muradov, the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to simplify the registration procedure for the population of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya indicates “a serious intention to ensure the safety of people.”
The diplomat acknowledged that the whole process could drag on for a long time, since not all residents of the liberated regions are ready to take such a step. However, he assured that over time, more and more people will want to use the opportunity.
On the eve it became known that already about 30 people applied to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Zaporozhye region to enroll in a queue for obtaining Russian citizenship.
A day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on simplifying the acquisition of Russian citizenship in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. Then the authorities of the Zaporozhye region reported that they were preparing the infrastructure for organizing the procedure for issuing Russian passports to residents.
Also on Wednesday, it was reported that the Zaporozhye region will head for joining Russia. According to Vladimir Rogov, a representative of the regional administration, the plans are to create a full-fledged subject within the Russian Federation – the Zaporozhye Republic. He noted that the population of the Zaporozhye region is “absolutely Russian in mentality.”
The Kherson region, liberated from Ukrainian nationalists, also declared its desire to become part of the Russian Federation. The chairman of the military-civilian administration of the region, Kirill Stremousov, noted on May 7 that the Kherson region would integrate as much as possible into the Russian Federation. At the same time, he noted that local residents would receive the right to Russian citizenship. And on April 28, he ruled out the return of the region back under Ukrainian control.
On April 16, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia reported that in the first quarter of this year, citizens of Ukraine more often than others received Russian citizenship. In addition, the department said that more than 287.6 thousand people have moved to Russia from Ukraine since 2014 as part of the program for the resettlement of compatriots.