Great Britain London: Putin decree urges Ukrainians to obtain a Russian passport
According to British sources, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is putting pressure on Ukrainians in Russia and in occupied territories in their home country to take Russian citizenship. As the British Ministry of Defense writes in its regular intelligence update on the Ukraine war, Putin signed a decree this week that obliges Ukrainian citizens living in the affected territories to "settle their legal status" by 10 September 2025 or leave the area.
22.03.2025, 14:52
SDA
"Putin's decree is most likely intended to force Ukrainian citizens who refuse Russian passports and citizenship to leave the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory," the ministry said.
Putin and the Russian leadership continue to pursue a policy of Russification on illegally occupied territory in Ukraine. This is part of their long-standing efforts to eradicate Ukrainian culture, identity and statehood. The ministry pointed out that Russia illegally considers Crimea, which was annexed over a decade ago, as well as the partially occupied regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, which were annexed in 2022, to be part of Russia.
