Russia to open two more passport offices for Donbass residents

Illustration: Forum Daily

The number of passport offices for residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics (DPR, LPR) who wish to obtain Russian passports in the Rostov region in southern Russia will reach eight by December, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma (lower house) Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Viktor Vodolatsky told TASS news agency.

“Currently, six passport offices are operating under a simplified procedure. Two more will be opened within the next two weeks. Before the end of the year, there will be eight offices in the Rostov region,” he said, adding that there are plans to open new offices in the cities of Krasny Sulin and Gukovo.

According to Vodolatsky, the need to expand the network of these offices comes from the increasing number of applications from residents. “We have analyzed that the number of applications will increase in the coming months,” he said.

Rostov region Governor Vasily Golubev said earlier that more than 170,000 citizens of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics had obtained Russian passports under a fast-track procedure.

On April 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree easing the rules for granting Russian citizenship to residents of Donetsk and Lugansk. According to the document, the decision was made “to protect human rights and freedoms” based on widely accepted international laws.

In June, two specialized departments of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Rostov region began issuing Russian passports to residents of the DPR and LPR. Two more offices were opened in July, and by early December the number had risen to six.