By December 31, 2024: occupiers are coercing residents of Donetsk region into obtaining Russian passports through blackmail.
Residents of the occupied territories of Donetsk region have to replace their passports and obtain Russian citizenship by December 31, otherwise they will not be able to “receive the rights and benefits provided by Russia”.
This was stated by Olena Shyshkina, representative of the occupation authorities of Donetsk region, in an interview with pro-Russian media, ZMINA reports.
The occupation official said that “it is important not to put this issue on the back burner”, as obtaining a Russian passport is “not just a formality, but the key to obtaining all the rights and benefits provided by the Russian state”.
“Without Russian citizenship, people may face difficulties in accessing medical facilities, receiving pensions, social assistance and other important aspects of life“, Shyshkina said.
Earlier, ZMINA reported that in early August 2024, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted amendments to the law on citizenship, which allow the termination of Russian citizenship if a person does not register for military service.
The bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation will report to military commissariats about those who are about to receive a Russian passport.
Such changes, according to human rights defenders, are aimed at preventing evasion of military registration by those who receive Russian citizenship and will directly affect residents of the occupied territories.
