INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Moscow said Thursday it has issued more than 80,000 Russian passports to residents of four Ukrainian territories since President Vladimir
Putin claimed to have annexed the regions last month."Since the addition ..
of the four regions into the Russian Federation, and in accordance with the legislation, more than 80,000 people received passports as
citizens of the Russian Federation," Valentina Kazakova, a migration official with the Interior Ministry, said in remarks carried by Russian
said residents had voted in favor of becoming subjects of Russia.Putin formally annexed the territories at a ceremony in the Kremlin in
early October, even though his forces have never had full control over them.The United Nations condemned the "attempted illegal annexation"
of Ukrainian land and urged the international community "not to recognize any changes announced by Russia to borders."Russia has since lost
same name and the only regional capital that Russia had captured in the Ukraine offensive.Since the start of the military campaign in
February, the Kremlin has made it easier for Ukrainians to obtain Russian nationality and allowed Ukrainian passport holders to live and
work in Russia indefinitely and without a work permit.
