Russian President Vladimir Putin signed Monday a decree giving all residents of Ukraine the option of obtaining Russian citizenship via a simplified procedure.

The decree states that "citizens of Ukraine, Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) or Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and people without citizenship permanently living in DPR, LPR or Ukraine […] are entitled to appeal for admission to citizenship of the Russian Federation via simplified procedure in accordance with the […] law 'On citizenship of the Russian Federation.'"

The previous version of the decree only covered residents of DPR, LPR, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions.

The decree mentions that service in the armed forces or law enforcement of Donbass republics will not be an obstruction to obtaining Russian citizenship.

"Military service, service in national security or law enforcement agencies of Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republic cannot be considered a reason for denying Russian citizenship," the decree said.

According to TASS, "The simplified procedure makes it possible to apply for Russian citizenship without fulfilling a number of preconditions, such as living in Russia for five years, having a source of income, and undergoing a Russian language examination."

It is noteworthy that the procedure was previously introduced for DPR and LPR residents by a 2019 decree when the republics were still part of Ukraine.

Read more: Putin recognizes Lugansk, Donetsk people's republics

The purpose of the decree was "to protect the rights and freedoms of a man and a citizen, under universally recognized principles and norms of international law."