Donetsk, May 3 - DAN. As many as 386,000 residents of the Donetsk People’s Republic have obtained fast track Russian citizenship, the DPR Interior Ministry’s Migration Service told the Donetsk News Agency on Tuesday.

“As of today, 386,000 DPR residents have received Russian passports,” the Migration service said adding that 405,000 passport applications have been submitted since 2019.

Earlier reports said that 955,000 people had received DPR passports. Thus, nearly one half of DPR passport holders have applied for Russian citizenship.

On April 24, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the degree on determining groups of foreign nationals eligible to obtain Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure. The document specifically eases Russian citizenship rules for residents of the Donbass Republics. Donetsk People’s Republic residents have to travel to Russia’s Rostov region to collect their passports. A Donbass resident must have a DPR or LPR passport to apply for fast track Russian citizenship.*jk