Russia is not forcing residents of the Donbas region to change their citizenship, but to have the option of applying for Russian citizenship without losing their Ukrainian one, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said during a UN Security Council meeting.
“Russia is not imposing citizenship on people in Donbas, but provides them with an opportunity to freely and on their own… apply for it,” Nebenzia said on Thursday.
Kiev launched a military operation against the DPR and LPR in 2014 after they proclaimed independence from Ukraine, refusing to recognize the new central government that was installed via a coup d’etat.