EU won't recognise Russian passports from occupied regions in Ukraine
European Union flags
The European Union announced on Thursday that it would not recognise Russian passports obtained in Ukrainian regions that Moscow has annexed.
Russian travel credentials issued to residents of certain territories cannot be used to get visas or enter the Schengen area as a result of the decision, which also applies to two Georgian regions under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation.
"This decision is a response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine and Russia's practice of issuing Russian international passports to residents of the occupied regions," the European Council said in a statement.
The European Parliament and EU member states still need to formally approve the move.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, unilaterally claimed four areas of Ukraine in September. This announcement was highly denounced by the world community. In 2014, Moscow also annexed the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine.
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The Kremlin's control over some of the occupied territory has been waning as Kyiv's forces mount a resistance.
A significant blow to Putin's attempt at annexing Ukrainian territory was dealt on Wednesday when the Russian defence minister ordered troops to leave the crucial city of Kherson.
(with inputs from agencies)