Russia and Georgia’s Russian-occupied de facto government of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) have signed an agreement earlier today which allows the residents of the occupied territory to receive Russian citizenship without losing ‘South Ossetian citizenship.’ 

Russia has plans to sign a similar agreement with Georgia’s another occupied Abkhazia region. 

Russia recognized the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions as independent states after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war. 

Since then the international community has been calling on the country to withdraw its troops from historic Georgian lands. 

Tbilisi condemns any agreements between Russia and the two regions because they are beyond international law.