Russia Won’t Recognize Its Own Passports

The Russian Federation does not recognize its passports issued on the territory of the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk republics. Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) reported on September 15 on its official Facebook page that owners of such documents are not allowed to cross the Russian border.

The HUR notes that since the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched the offensive east of Kharkiv, the mood of pro-Russian residents in the temporarily occupied territories has changed dramatically. There is dissatisfaction with the progress of the “special military operation,” as Moscow euphemistically calls the war and the actions of the Russian government. Among local residents, the prevailing opinion is that Russia is sacrificing the “republics.”

Moreover, these bad feelings worsened after it turned out that Russian passports issued in the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LDNR) do not have legal force on the territory of the Russian Federation. Some of those who tried to leave the LDNR with such a passport was told at the Russian border: “You are nobody.”

In addition, information is spreading among the personnel of Russia’s 14th Separate Special Operations Brigade that one of the “special military operation” stages” should be completed by December 1, 2022. After that, the plan is to withdraw regular units of Russian military personnel from part of the occupied territories. These territories will probably be transferred under the control of the “volunteer battalions,” most likely the 1st (Donetsk) and 2nd (Luhansk) Army Corps.

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