Vladimir Putin Photo: Dmitry Azarov, Kommersant
According to the new rules, adult residents of the Transnistrian region will be able to obtain a Russian passport without a number of mandatory procedures – in particular, without examinations in Russian language, Russian history and basics of legislation.
The simplified scheme also applies to orphans and minors living in the region.
Transnistria is an unrecognized region on the left bank of the Nistru River, which has been virtually uncontrolled by Chisinau since the early 1990s. An Operational Group of Russian troops is stationed in the region, and a significant proportion of local residents already hold Russian citizenship.
According to Deutsche Welle, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoigu said earlier that more than 220,000 Russian citizens live in Transnistria, while the total population of the region is about 470,000 people.
