Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree that allows foreign citizens fighting on the side of Russia in Ukraine to obtain Russian citizenship for themselves and their families, News.ro writes with reference to Reuters.

The decree says that people who signed contracts during what Moscow calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine can apply for Russian passports for themselves and their spouses, children and parents. They must provide documents proving that they have signed contracts for at least one year.

Those eligible include people who have signed contracts with the regular armed forces or other “military formations” – a description that could apply to groups such as Wagner’s mercenary organization.

The measure appears to be aimed at creating additional incentives for foreigners with military experience to entice them to join the Russian military.

Moscow does not publish data on the number of foreigners fighting on its side in Ukraine. However, Reuters previously reported Cubans who joined the army in exchange for bonuses equivalent to the value of more than 100 average Cuban monthly salaries, as well as three Africans recruited by Wagner, two of whom were killed in action.

According to a declassified US intelligence report, 315,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and wounded in the war in Ukraine, nearly 90 percent of its personnel at the start of the conflict, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters last month.

In September 2022, Russia enlisted an additional 300,000 in its first mobilization since World War II. There has been constant speculation that he might repeat the (unpopular) move, perhaps after the next presidential election in March, in which Putin easily wins another six-year term. However, the Kremlin has repeatedly said there is no need for further mobilization, as hundreds of thousands of men voluntarily signed contracts to become professional soldiers last year.

• At the end of December, the vice-president of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmytro Medvedev, assured that during 2023 half a million people joined the Russian army under contract.
• The RBC portal, referring to the report of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, also noted that 640,000 people are now conscripted into the army under professional contracts.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine discloses the extent of losses during the 22 months of the war. Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that his army proposes to mobilize an additional 450,000-500,000 people, and the Kyiv parliament on Thursday began considering a contested draft law that would strengthen and expand the mobilization rules.

Obtaining Russian citizenship by Moldovans, Kazakhs and Belarusians is simplified

On the other hand, on December 18, 2023, Putin signed a decree simplifying the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for citizens of the Republic of Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.

In response, Prime Minister of Chisinau Dorin Rechan qualified Putin’s decision as an attempt by the regime in Moscow to recruit “cannon fodder” for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Currently, 150,000 to 200,000 Moldovan citizens live in Russia, writes NewsMaker.md.

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