Putin expands list of Ukrainians and others eligible for fast-tracked Russian passports

FILE PHOTO: An official of a migration department under Russia's Interior Ministry receives and registers passport applications of Ukrainian separatist-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk Regions' residents, after Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed an order simplifying the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport for residents of these regions, in Novoshakhtinsk, Russia April 29, 2019. REUTERS/Sergey Pivovarov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree expanding the list of Ukrainians and citizens of some other countries eligible for fast-tracked Russian passports, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

The initial decree, simplifying the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport for residents of the rebel-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, was signed by Putin on April 24