MOSCOW, July 18 (RAPSI) – President of Russia Vladimir Putin has signed a decree providing for possible obtaining Russian citizenship not only by residents of Donetsk and Lugansk People Republics but for all people who had earlier lived in these Ukrainian regions.

The relevant document has been published on the Kremlin website. The order has come into force.

Earlier, Putin signed a decree simplifying the procedure of receiving Russian passports by residents of certain districts of Donetsk and Lugansk People Republics.

In October 2018, the State Duma passed a bill easing a procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship by people, who came to Russia from countries, where they had been prosecuted for political or other reasons, and where coups, military conflicts and other emergency situations had occurred.