Putin eases Russian citizenship process for residents of occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new decree simplifying the procedure for granting Russian citizenship to residents of occupied Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia).

According to Russian state news agency TASS, the decree was published on May 17 on Russia’s official legal portal.

Under the new regulation, applicants from the occupied territories will no longer be required to pass Russian language or history exams when applying for citizenship. Applications can be submitted at Russia’s so-called “diplomatic missions” operating in Abkhazia, further solidifying Moscow’s grip on the region.

This move comes shortly after the de facto leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Badra Gunba and Alan Gagloev, visited Moscow and held meetings with President Putin on May 9–10.