Russia continues to force Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories to obtain Russian citizenship

Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine (Svidomi) — In the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region, Russians have forced the majority of the local population to obtain Russian passports through blackmail and intimidation, says the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov.

The Russians deny work, medical care or property rights to locals who refuse to take a Russian passport.

Parents are forced to obtain Russian documents for their children, threatening to deprive them of parental rights. Russians bring passports directly to the elderly's homes.

Fedorov explains that in this way Russia wants to show that these territories are allegedly inhabited by Russian citizens.

"However, it is in vain — no matter how many ausweise (passports issued by the German occupation authorities during the invasion of Ukraine in 1941-1944) are handed out, our residents remain Ukrainians and are awaiting de-occupation," says the head of the RMA.

It will be recalled that Russia plans to hold the so-called 'early voting' in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as part of the Russian presidential election. This refers to the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.