Vladimir Putin has signed a decree requiring Ukrainian citizens residing in Russia and in occupied Ukrainian territories "without legal grounds" to either leave the country by September 10, 2025, or resolve their legal status. The document was published on the official legal information portal. The decree states: "Ukrainian citizens present in the Russian Federation without legal grounds for stay (residence) must voluntarily leave the Russian Federation or resolve their legal status in the Russian Federation by September 10, 2025, inclusive."
The decree also extends to the so-called "new regions." Specifically, according to the document, "foreign nationals" and stateless persons who have arrived in the "DPR," "LPR," and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions must undergo medical examinations by June 10, 2025. This procedure includes tests for drug use and HIV infection.
The decree includes an instruction that security forces should not prosecute Ukrainians residing "illegally" in Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories until September 10, 2025, provided these individuals independently approach the Ministry of Internal Affairs to regularize their status. The Ministry of Health has been tasked to conduct medical examinations for Ukrainian citizens within the same timeframe.
In early March, during the annual extended meeting of the Ministry of Internal Affairs board, Putin claimed that the issuance of Russian passports to residents of the occupied territories of Ukraine was "virtually complete." He noted that Interior Ministry employees had to work "under difficult conditions," yet they performed their duties "honorably and professionally." In spring 2024, Putin stated during an Interior Ministry board meeting that over 3.2 million residents of the occupied Ukrainian territories had received Russian passports.