Russian President Vladimir Putin today signed a decree making Ukrainians’ entry into Russia more flexible, granting visa exemptions and allowing border crossings with national documents and without the need for a passport.
The decree, which does not specify whether the rule applies only to Ukrainians living in territories occupied by the Russian military or in any part of Ukraine, states that citizens of the neighboring country “may enter Russia through its land border through neighboring countries.”
The decree was published on the Russian government’s legal information portal and stipulates that Ukrainians can enter Russian territory without the need for a visa by presenting their identity card.
Documents of national use such as sailor card, flight crew card, birth certificate (for children under 16), as well as common or consular passports will serve for these purposes.
The new rule allows Ukrainians to enter the country even if the previously indicated documents have “expired”.
If you do not have these documents, Russia will exceptionally allow you to enter its territory based on the “Foreign Citizen Identity” document issued by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
According to Russian officials, the number of Ukrainian refugees who have entered Russia since the start of the war is about 5.3 million, and a fifth of them were undocumented when they arrived in the country.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported last February that the number of Ukrainians who have fled the country as a result of the war exceeded eight million people, a figure that dropped to 6.3 million in June.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has caused the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II (1939-1945), according to the latest UN data.
The Russian invasion — justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the need to “denazify” and militarize Ukraine for Russia’s security — was condemned by much of the international community, which retaliated by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and economic pressure on Russia. Obstacles.
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