Russia prepares 500 thousand forms to issue passports in LPR and the DPR
Five thousand forms have already been prepared for the distribution of Russian passports to residents of the occupied areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, reports LB.ua in the article “Operation passportization”: the motivation behind Kremlin distribution of Russian citizenships to residents of the LPR and the DPR”.
“According to LB.ua sources in law enforcement agencies, the estimated number of forms appears to be 500 thousand. Local security officials (“siloviki”) were told that passport distribution would begin in May,” according to the article.
It also surfaced that 9 thousand rubles are being collected in the LPR and the DPR for every issued passport.
Possession of a “DPR / LPR” passport is a prerequisite for obtaining a Russian passport.
Moreover, it has been insinuated that with a Russian passport, members of armed formations can be quickly transformed into “peacekeeping forces.” The only thing left to do would be providing them with the appropriate symbols.
The issuing of Russian passports is in a state of limbo as the Russian administration is still deciding when it should start. “The topic of passportization emerged because it was widely believed that Poroshenko would win the election. It was decided that after his victory, Russia would not recognize the legitimacy of the election and the next move would be to start the passportization campaign. Now, as the situation is in limbo, no concrete decisions have been made. We are hitting pause, largely, because of Zelensky. This is to access all the risks and threats and then move to a final decision,” an informed Russian interlocutor told LB.ua.
The experts interviewed by the media agency were confident that Ukraine-Russia relations would stay the same, regardless of who is elected president - P. Poroshenko or V. Zelensky. “Ukraine will continue its course towards the EU and NATO and the Kremlin will interfere in every way using the bleeding wound in the east of the country. Thus, no matter who wins the Ukrainian election, Russia is not going to leave the Donbass. And the process of issuing Russian passports will start there, whether it be now or later,” the article concludes.