Putin to Offer Foreigners Who Fight for Russia Fast Track Citizenship 

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Tuesday that simplifies the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for foreign nationals who serve in his military while the war is going on in Ukraine.

It applies to foreign citizens who enter into contracts with the Russian army for a period of one year during the course of the conflict in Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation." The decree notes that those individuals and their family members will be able to apply for Russian citizenship in a simplified manner—without the need to obtain a residence permit.

The decree builds on legislation the Russian president signed into law in September 2022, which included a requirement that applicants must be involved in hostilities in Ukraine for at least six months. The new version does not include this demand.

The move comes ahead of a highly anticipated counteroffensive by Ukraine, and as Russia's casualty total is set to exceed 200,000, according to figures provided by Ukraine's military.

Putin has signed a number of decrees aimed at boosting his troop numbers amid his faltering war in the neighboring country.

Last May, amid heavy casualties in Ukraine, Russia's parliament approved legislation that removed the upper age limit for contractual service with the Russian armed forces.

And in August 2022, Putin signed a decree to increase the size of his army—from 1.9 million to 2.04 million personnel. That came into effect on January 1.

More recently, in March, Putin signed a decree removing an upper age limit for Russian National Guard members serving in parts of Ukraine that are under the control of Russian forces.

The decree said age restrictions for its citizens in the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation serving in the affected regions have been lifted until January 1, 2026.

The Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia were illegally annexed by Putin in the fall of 2022 following referendums that were denounced by U.S. President Joe Biden as a "sham". Russia is not fully in control of any of the regions, and foreign governments, including the United States, have said the move was illegitimate.

The decree said Russian citizens serving in the annexed territories will instead be assessed by a military medical examination conducted in absentia, which will determine whether they are fit to serve.

Russia rarely releases figures on troop losses. In September 2022, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 5,937 Russian troops had been killed in the conflict in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. This marked only the second time Russia had released casualty figures in the war.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said Tuesday that Russian troop losses stand just shy of 200,000. The casualty figures have not been independently verified by Newsweek.

Ukrainian losses in the war have also been substantial, according to Western estimates. A U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment leaked in April estimated that Ukraine had suffered 124,500-131,000 casualties, including 15,500-17,500 dead and 109,000-113,500 wounded.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.

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