Russia is making it even easier for residents of occupied Abkhazia, the Tskhinvali region and Transnistria to obtain Russian citizenship. Under the Kremlin’s new regulation, the consular fee for processing citizenship applications for residents of these territories is to be reduced from $600 to $65.
At first glance, Russia’s favourable policy appears to concern only a reduction in the consular fee; however, the context of this decision is much broader. At the same time, Russia is also simplifying the procedure for obtaining citizenship.
Simplified Policy for Obtaining Citizenship
In May 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree under which residents of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region who, as of 26 August 2008, were living in the occupied territories may obtain Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure. A number of statutory requirements for obtaining Russian citizenship no longer apply to them. Applications may also be submitted in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region themselves through Russian diplomatic missions. In May 2026, a similar approach was extended to Transnistria.
Against this background, the reduction of the consular fee from $600 to $65 no longer represents merely part of a preferential policy. It is a deliberate step by the Kremlin to minimise the financial barrier to obtaining Russian citizenship, so that the majority of the population of these territories becomes part of Russia.
What Purpose Does Increasing the Number of Russian Citizens Serve?
The Kremlin’s official explanation regarding the simplified procedures for obtaining citizenship is linked to making Russian citizenship more accessible. However, the aims and consequences of this policy are much broader.
First and foremost, through this approach, Russia strengthens its legal and political ties with the population of the occupied territories. Citizenship gives a person a direct legal status in relation to the Russian state and, accordingly, the more people who hold Russian passports, the more people fall under Moscow’s political influence.
A second important factor is the argument of the so-called ‘protection of Russian citizens’. Georgia is well acquainted with the use of this argument to justify the outbreak of war. For years, the widespread granting of Russian citizenship in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region has been one of the key directions of Moscow’s policy. An increase in the number of citizens provides Russia with an additional political argument for their ‘protection’ in the future.
The current policy does not mean that simplifying access to citizenship automatically amounts to preparation for new military action. However, it constitutes an exercise of soft power that creates a legal and political environment which makes it easier for Russia, as the occupying power, to use additional levers in the future.
What Threat Does This Pose to Georgia?
The ever-closer connection of the population of occupied Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region with Russian citizenship represents a further distancing of these territories from Georgia’s political and legal space. In this case, Moscow’s policy operates in several directions:
Political influence – the more people obtain Russian passports and become Russian citizens, the greater the number of people directly connected to the Russian state.
Security risk – the growing number of Russian citizens may in the future be used by Russia to justify political, diplomatic or security policies. For this reason, the issue of citizenship should not be viewed merely as a matter of consular services; rather, its objectives should be regarded as a continuation of a more far-reaching policy.
Risk of military mobilisation – during the Russia–Ukraine war, Russia has extensively enlisted residents of these regions into its armed forces and conscripted them for deployment to the front. From this perspective, Russia continues to have an interest in these regions, including as a source of relatively inexpensive manpower. Granting citizenship removes obstacles in this regard and provides a legitimate basis for full mobilisation and conscription for deployment to the front.
Risk of annexation – one of the main challenges to Georgia’s reintegration of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region is precisely Russia’s interests and strong influence. If a significant part of the population becomes even more closely connected to the Russian state through citizenship, social benefits and other mechanisms, this will further deepen ties with Russia.
Ultimately, a $65 consular fee may, at first glance, appear to be a minor administrative change. However, when it is preceded by the simplification of the procedure for obtaining citizenship, while at the same time tens of thousands of people are already applying for Russian citizenship, this decision forms part of a broader policy and serves the policy of full annexation of the territories.
