The authorities in the Kherson Region will soon open offices for people seeking Russian citizenship, a top local official said on Thursday, TASS reports.
"Those who wish to obtain Russian passports will be able to do so soon. Offices will open first in the center of the region, then in other localities," head of the region’s civil-military administration Vladimir Saldo said in a video message posted on the administration’s Telegram channel.
He also said a large number of applications for Russian citizenship had already been submitted.
"We have been moving along this path much quicker than we expected," Saldo said.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree simplifying the procedure for residents of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions in Ukraine to apply for Russian citizenship. Under the decree, applications for Russian citizenship filed by residents of the two regions must be considered within no more than three months from the date of the submission of the application and corresponding documents. Applicants must have been residents in Russia for at least five years, possess an income source, and have their knowledge of Russian tested.
