You're reading: Crimean residents free to decline Russian citizenship until April 18

 About 300 Crimean residents wishing to retain their Ukrainian citizenship have filed their statements with the Federal Migration Service, passport section head of the Federal Migration Service's territorial department Fyodor Karpovets said. According to the official, Crimean residents wishing to reject the Russian citizenship must file their statements before April 18.

 “We have received about 300 statements from people wishing to retain their Ukrainian citizenship and to decline their naturalization by Russia,” he told a press conference in Simferopol on April 8.

Statements declining the Russian citizenship can be filled in Sevastopol, Simferopol, Belogorsk and Bakhchysarai, he said.

“Four sites are enough. It is inexpedient to have specialists in every town, where such questions are not asked,” Karpovets said.

Karpovets also said that citizens of Ukraine and other states who lived in Crimea before its accession to Russia could obtain a Russian residence permit and stay on the peninsula for an unlimited period of time.