MOSCOW, January 28. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Migration Service said on Wednesday it has extended the period of sojourn in Russia for Ukrainian citizens of the recruitment age for more than 90 days.
"Under the current rules, Ukrainian citizens of this category are allowed to stay in Russia less than 90 days. In case of overstaying, they are to face administrative charges. Being guided by humanitarian considerations, Russia’s Federal Migration Service has taken a decision to extend terms of sojourn for the abovementioned categories of Ukrainian citizens," the press service of the Federal Migration Service said.
According to the service’s statistics, more than 2.430 million Ukrainian citizens are currently staying in Russia, of whom 1.172 million are men of recruitment age. Apart from that, more than 800,000 forced migrants from eastern Ukraine have found shelter in Russia.
Plans to extend the term of sojourn for Ukrainian citizens, especially for men of military age, were announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 26.
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"Many people, by the way, do not want to be mobilized. They are trying to move into Russia and lie low for some time. And they are absolutely right because they are simply being sent under bullets like cannon fodder," Putin said at a meeting with the students of the "Gornyi" University of Mineral Resources.
At the same time, the president said Ukrainian nationals could not stay in Russia longer than for a period established by the law. "Under a new law, Ukrainian citizens cannot stay in Russia for more than 30 days. After that they have to return to Ukraine where they are being caught and sent under the bullets again. That is why I think that we are going to change something in that law," Putin said, adding the sojourn of some categories of people, especially those of conscription age, could be extended within legal framework.