Since the beginning of 2024, 3,344 foreign nationals who signed contracts to participate in military operations in Ukraine have obtained Russian citizenship, Irina Volk, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, says.
She did not specify the countries from which these new Russian passport holders originated.
Meanwhile, as previously reported by Ms. Volk, Russian citizenship has been revoked for 1,053 individuals over the first seven months of this year.
In January, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing foreigners to obtain Russian citizenship through a simplified process upon contracting for military service.
The head of the State Duma (Russian lower chamber of parliament) Information Policy Committee, Alexander Khinshtein, stated that this decree would address the issue of handing over veterans of the Ukraine operation to other countries, where they would face punishment for mercenary activities.
At the same time, in July, the State Duma passed a bill to revoke Russian citizenship acquired through military service if individuals evade military registration.
It is worth noting that, during raids, labor migrants from Central Asian countries are often given an ultimatum—to either sign a contract to participate in the Ukraine conflict or face deportation.
