Putin signs decree easing Russian citizenship process for residents of occupied Abkhazia, South Ossetia

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree simplifying the process for residents of Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to obtain Russian citizenship, Russian state-controlled media reported on May 17.

According to the decree, all adult "citizens" of Abkhazia and South Ossetia who held that status as of Aug. 26, 2008, the day Russia recognized the territories as "independent," are now eligible to apply for Russian citizenship through an expedited process. Applicants are required only to submit a formal request for citizenship.

Moscow gained full control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia following its 2008 invasion of Georgia and has since maintained a military presence in both regions.

Russia has employed similar tactics in Ukraine.

In August 2024, Russia’s Interior Ministry claimed it had issued 2.2 million Russian passports to residents of the occupied Ukrainian territories — Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk — since October 2022. The figure was published by ministry official Irina Volk on her Telegram channel. The claim could not be independently verified.

The U.S.-based Ukraine Conflict Observatory reported in 2023 that Russia systematically coerces residents of occupied Ukrainian regions into accepting Russian citizenship, often under threat of detention, deportation, or the loss of access to basic services.

Refusal to accept Russian documentation has reportedly resulted in the denial of medical care, employment, humanitarian aid, and other critical support.

During the massive flooding of the Kherson Oblast following the breach of the Kakhovka Dam, Russia allowed evacuations only to Russian passport holders, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.

Putin first introduced a simplified citizenship process for Ukrainians in occupied territories in July 2022. In April 2023, he signed another decree setting a deadline in the summer of 2024 for residents in those areas to obtain Russian passports or face legal and civil consequences.

Russia grants citizenship to over 3,300 foreigners under Putin’s military decree

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed in January a decree allowing foreigners who have served a year under contract in the Russian army, as well as their close relatives, to obtain Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova