occupiers in the territories temporarily occupied by them grossly violate the laws and customs of war. One of the most egregious examples of ignoring international law is the forced passportization of the population.
The Office of the President explained why it is dangerous to take a Russian passport, what goals the aggressor country is pursuing and what to do if passportization cannot be avoided , transmits channel 24.
As practice shows, Russians most actively distribute passports in the south of Ukraine, in particular:
- Kherson,
- Zaporozhye region.
Using vulnerable position of citizens of Ukraine, the enemy is inciting them to apply for Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure. Ukrainian passports are confiscated from people.
Why does the Russian Federation distribute passports to Ukrainians
There are several obvious reasons for this:
- the Kremlin is trying to strengthen its future negotiating positions and legitimize further armed aggression against Ukraine by the need to “protect Russian citizens”;
- under the pretext of obtaining citizenship, Russians collect personal data of Ukrainians and form an “electoral base” for holding pseudo-referendums on the Crimean or Donbass scenario;
- The Kremlin uses the population of the occupied territories as a resource to replenish the ranks of the Russian army.
Pay attention!The Regulation on the Laws and Customs of War on Land, which is an annex to the Fourth Hague Convention of 1907, expressly prohibits compelling the population of the occupied territories to swear allegiance to the occupier. We are talking about both the military oath and the transfer to another citizenship.
What Ukraine says about this
Ukraine does not recognize the forced automatic acquisition of Russian citizenship by residents of the temporarily occupied territories. Compulsory passportization is not the basis for the loss of citizenship of Ukraine.
Ukraine is not going to punish citizens who are forced to take a Russian passport. After all, he understands that under the conditions of occupation, the opportunity depends on this:
- receive medical care,
- save property,
- receive a pension and payments.
Who can be punished
At the same time, officials, employees, law enforcement agencies, judges and other citizens who voluntarily acquire Russian citizenship for the sake of working in the occupation administration and other forms of cooperation with the enemy will be held accountable for their actions. The Criminal Code of Ukraine provides for punishment for collaborationism, high treason and other crimes against the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Why you can’t take a Russian passport: watch the video
What risks does the distribution of Russian passports in the occupied territories create?
- passportization of the population is directed against Ukrainian sovereignty and is a preparation for the annexation of the occupied territories;
- the presence of a passport of a Russian citizen is the basis for mobilization into the ranks of the Russian army and use as “cannon fodder” in the war against Ukraine;
- The Kremlin can forcibly relocate newly minted “Russian citizens” in the form of evacuation to Siberia, the Trans-Urals, the Far East and other depressed regions of Russia;
Passports issued under the simplified procedure do not make residents of the occupied territories full-fledged citizens of Russia. Even the appearance of these documents differs from ordinary Russian passports,” the OP noted.
Compulsory passportization in the occupied territories of Ukraine began in 2014. Then, by federal law, all citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently residing in Crimea were declared citizens of Russia.
And in April 2019, Vladimir Putin issued a decree on a simplified procedure for granting Russian citizenship to holders of “passports” of the quasi-republics of the “DPR” and “LNR”. In July of this year, this procedure was extended to all residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and in 2022 to all newly paid territories.
The Ukrainian authorities recommend that the civilian population leave the occupied territories. It should be remembered that the occupation is temporary, and the Ukrainian army will liberate the territory occupied by the enemy.
