Putin issues decree on granting Russian citizenship to Ukrainian children

Putin has issued a decree on granting Ukrainian children Russian citizenship. The Ukrainian parliamentary commissioner for human rights, Dmytro Lubinets, said this on 5 January.

On 4 January, Putin signed Decree No 11 "On determining certain categories of foreign citizens and stateless persons who have the right to apply for Russian citizenship".

The order notes that orphans and children left without parental care who are citizens of Ukraine can obtain Russian citizenship by Putin's personal decision without taking into account all or certain requirements of federal legislation.

An application for such citizenship may be submitted by the heads of Russian organisations in which the child is placed under care. When filling out the application form, no information about the applicant's place of residence, his contact details are given, but only the address and contacts at the place of work of such an applicant, who can disappear at any moment," the Ukrainian ombudsman wrote.

Lubinets noted that instead of deported Ukrainian children who are now in Russian institutions or in Russian families under guardianship, Russian citizens can apply for citizenship, which Putin will fulfil without any requirements.

I believe that granting Russian citizenship to children is being done to ensure that deported Ukrainian children are not "legally" left on their territory. We understand the terrible consequences of such actions, because the next step after they receive Russian "citizenship" will be the adoption of children as Russians, followed by the change of their personal data," the ombudsman said.

He stressed that at one moment it may happen that not a single Ukrainian child will be left in the Russian Federation, all of them may become Russians within the next three months.

As the VRU Commissioner for Human Rights, I will take all necessary measures to respond both domestically and internationally," Lubinets said.

He noted that the transfer of children from one national group to another, which is certainly the granting of forced citizenship to children, is one of the signs of genocide.