A total of 3,344 foreigners have been granted Russian citizenship since the beginning of 2024 under one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's decrees, Irina Volk, a representative for the Russian Interior Ministry, claimed on Nov. 4.
Putin signed in January a decree allowing foreigners who have served a year under contract in the Russian army, as well as their close relatives, to obtain Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure.
According to the document, the mandatory knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and legislation are excluded.
Volk did not specify whether the figure includes only mercenaries or their family members as well.
Since the start of the all-out war, Moscow has been recruiting foreigners from Nepal, Somalia, India, Cuba, and other countries to fight against Ukraine.
In August, Putin signed a decree allowing foreigners and stateless persons to apply for temporary residence in Russia on "moral grounds." Another decree made it easier for all Ukrainian residents to acquire Russian citizenship, a move condemned by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
