Foreign Ministry states that issuing Russia's passports under the simplified procedure is null and void; besides, such action is a rude violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity

Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed a decisive protest against Russia opening a passport issue center, where employees plan to pass the IDs to the residents of occupied areas of Donbas. The press office of the Ukrainian authority reported that April 30.

The Ministry stressed that issuing Russia's passports under the simplified procedure is null and void, as it would not affect the said residents' Ukrainian citizenship; besides, such action of the Kremlin is a rude violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

'By its actions, Russia clearly shows its total neglection for norms and principles of the international law. Deliberately choosing the way to escalation, the Russian Federation fundamentally undermines Minsk agreements, while being a party to it', the Ministry claimed in the statement.

'We categorically demand that the Russian Federation immediately stop the internationally illegal actions against the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine; cancel the amendments to Russia's federal laws on citizenship (...), the Ukrainian side concluded.

On Monday, April 29, a center for issuing Russian passports to residents of the occupied territories of Luhansk region opened in Novoshakhtinsk, Russia.