Russia Issues First National Passports to Residents of Ukrainian Occupied Territories Including Kherson

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The local government of Kherson Province in southern Ukraine, controlled by the Russian military, issued Russian passports to residents for the first time on the 11th (local time), Russian state news agency TASS reported.

According to the report, the Kherson Provincial Joint Military-Civilian Administration issued Russian passports to 23 residents at the event that day. Earlier, Russia had established a decree last month to simplify the process for residents of occupied Ukrainian territories to acquire Russian nationality.

Vladimir Saldo, head of the Kherson local government established by the Russian government, said, "All Kherson residents want to obtain Russian passports and citizenship as soon as possible." He also received a Russian passport that day.

Along with this, the Russian government has also begun issuing Russian passports to residents of Melitopol City in Zaporizhzhia Province, TASS reported. In some parts of Melitopol, Ukrainian forces are still engaged in clashes with Russian troops.

The Ukrainian government condemned the issuance of Russian passports as "legally invalid" and called it a "clear violation of territorial integrity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.