The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, approved a formal procedure governing how residents of the Zaporozhye region, the Kherson region, the Donetsk People’s Republic, and the Luhansk People’s Republic can apply for Russian citizenship. The decision was published in the official gazette of legal information, signaling a clear administrative pathway for these populations to pursue citizenship under the new framework. The decree also sets out the rules for recognizing a child under the age of 14 as a citizen of the Russian Federation, providing a structured process for family-based acquisition of citizenship and ensuring that minor children can be incorporated into the Russian legal and civic system through streamlined recognition. (Source: Official Gazette of legal information)
Additionally, the decree approves the procedure for submitting and registering a declaration about unwillingness to acquire Ukrainian citizenship. This establishes a formal channel for individuals to express a preference to renounce Ukrainian citizenship and to pursue citizenship of the Russian Federation instead, as part of the broader administrative and legal adjustments following changes in territorial control. (Source: Official Gazette of legal information)
Earlier in the year, the State Duma introduced a bill addressing Ukrainian citizenship in relation to the same regions. The proposed measure would terminate Ukrainian citizenship from the date of submission of the relevant application to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The draft law has been made available in the Duma’s electronic database, reflecting the parliamentary process that accompanies executive policy adjustments. (Source: Duma electronic database)
Explanatory notes attached to the measures indicate that, after the incorporation of new territories into the Russian Federation, there was a notable increase in the number of individuals holding Ukrainian citizenship. The notes also point out that a portion of these individuals faces practical or legal barriers that prevent them from renouncing Ukrainian citizenship through normal administrative channels, underscoring the complexity of citizenship status in the affected regions. (Source: explanatory notes accompanying the decree)