National Resistance Center: New forced passportization strategy targets teens

Russian authorities in occupied regions of Ukraine are threatening to withhold high school certificates from students who do not agree to accept Russian passports, the National Resistance Center reported on Aug. 13.

In the Russian Federation, all citizens receive an internal passport at age 14.

According to the center, many Ukrainian teenagers in Russian-occupied regions have not applied for these passports. As a coercive measure, Russian proxies in these areas are leveraging high school certificates, refusing to grant them to students without a Russian passport.

"Moscow is not satisfied with the pace of Russian citizenship in the regions," the center said.

Forced passportization is an ongoing assault against Ukrainian civilians in the occupied areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts. Those who refuse to accept Russian passports are subject to intimidation, restrictions to social benefits, and possible violence.