Putin speeds up a citizenship path for foreigners who enlist in the Russian military

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that speeds up a path to Russian citizenship for foreigners who enlist in the country’s military amid the 22-month-old war in Ukraine

TALLINN, Estonia -- President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree that speeds up a path to Russian citizenship for foreigners who enlist in the country's military amid the 22-month-old war in Ukraine.

The move comes as Moscow is trying to replenish its troops in Ukraine by various methods, including the recruitment of migrants. Russia is a magnet for hundreds of thousands of people from poorer Central Asian countries, and many of them seek citizenship each year.

Putin first allowed fast-track citizenship for foreigners who sign contracts with the Russian army in September 2022, shortly after announcing a partial mobilization to draft 300,000 reservists for Ukraine.

Those immigrants who signed a contract for at least a year and take part in active hostilities for at least six months were allowed to apply for citizenship without demonstrating sufficient knowledge of Russian or the fact that they'd lived in the country for five straight years under a residency permit. Spouses and children were also eligible to apply. Authorities were obligated to decide on such applications within three months, according a presidential decree at the time.

Another Putin decree from May 2023 additionally simplified the procedure: the clause about participating in active hostilities for at least six months was removed, and anyone who signed at least a year-long contract during the Kremlin's “special military operation” in Ukraine, as well as their spouses and children, was allowed to apply in the fast-track procedure.