The SBU exposed a large-scale scheme of illegal issuance of Russian passports in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. So-called authorities organized this process to ensure the participation of Ukrainians in the September elections to the Russian State Duma. Organizers violate the international law and deprive new citizens of social guarantees.

Allegedly, the occupiers expect to involve in the elections as many residents of the temporarily occupied territories as possible. Therefore, from June 2021, under the direct instructions from Russia, the involuntary acquisition of Russian citizenship is accelerating.

To ensure intended indicators of support for the pro-government United Russia party, the curators began to issue Russian passports to the residents of occupied territories. Such passports include the codes of non-existent division of the Rostov region Federal Migration Service, the resident permit is also not denoted. Therefore, the issued documents do not give the right to social and retirement benefits from the aggressor country and do not make their owners full citizens of Russia.

The SBU officers exposed that the organizers plan to ensure a high turnout by two mechanisms:

• with the assistance of the pro-Putin United Russia party, organize the departure of the residents of the separatists held-territories to vote in the border towns of Rostov region
• provide the possibility of illegal electronic voting, including the so-called L/DNR territory

The residents of the temporarily occupied territories are obliged to register e-mail on their personal data to take part in online voting.

The majority of the people should vote for the United Russia. The organizers developed a set of measures to campaign for the pro-government party:

• in the separatists held-territories numerous points of record to UR are opened
• the organizers of the elections received the so-called guidelines with the technology of campaigning for the party
• there are info centers for citizens, supervised by the leaders of the United Russia

The SBU officers continue to record the illegal actions of the occupying power in the separatists held-territories on the issuance of passports in the preparation for the elections to the State Duma.

The illegal actions of pro-Russian officials are documented in open criminal proceedings. The received materials will be transferred to the relevant international bodies.

Note: In 2020, during the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, the EU delegation stated that actions such as the simplified procedure to obtain Russian citizenship to a significant number of the residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions is a clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and contrary to the spirit and goals of Minsk agreements. EU does not recognize such passports and called on other Partner States not to recognize such legally invalid documents.