Ukraine responds to Russia's plans to issue passports in temporarily occupied territories

The Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine has responded to the publication of a Russian presidential decree simplifying the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship by residents of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, saying that this is a gross violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state.

According to Ukrinform, the ministry said this in a statement posted on its website.

"The forced passportization of Ukrainian citizens in Crimea, temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as attempts to implement it in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions is a gross violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state, norms and principles of international humanitarian law and obligations by Russia the occupying power, in accordance with Article 45 of the Hague Convention of 1907 and Article 47 of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949," the ministry said.

It added that the decree is another illegal act and open coercion of residents of the occupied territories of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to acquire Russian citizenship. It once again proves the real criminal purpose of Russia's attack on Ukraine - the seizure of Ukrainian territories for their further integration into Russia's legal, political and economic field.

"This decree will not have any legal consequences. Because the international community and international law will give due consideration to bold actions, the scale of which has not been repeated since the Second World War," the statement said.

The ministry said the forced passportization of Ukrainians in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions should be an indisputable reason for imposing new packages of sanctions against Russia from the European Union and other countries.

"Our international partners must speed up decisions on further providing Ukraine with weapons capable of protecting our territory from the aggressor country. Further procrastination will cost the lives of our citizens and encourage Russia's military and political leadership to continue committing crimes against Ukraine and Europe as a whole," the ministry added.