The Russian Federation has introduced new requirements for the departure of children from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, mandating that they obtain Russian passports for travel abroad. The relevant law came into effect on January 20 and applies to children under the age of 14 who are in territories controlled by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Travel Restrictions for Ukrainian Families
According to the new legislation, children from occupied areas can only cross the border if they possess a Russian international passport. Exceptions are made for trips to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and occupied parts of Georgia. Birth certificates, which previously allowed for travel outside the country, are no longer recognized as valid documents for border crossing by children under 14 years old.
Russification and Eradication of Ukrainian Identity
“The legislation also represents a further development of the long-standing policy of the Russian leadership aimed at the russification of occupied Ukrainian territories, which seeks to eradicate Ukrainian culture, identity, and statehood,” the statement reads.
The United Kingdom’s intelligence emphasizes that such actions by the Russian Federation are likely intended to complicate the ability of Ukrainian families with children to leave the occupied territories. These measures are a continuation of Putin’s decree from March 20, 2025, which required residents of these regions to obtain Russian passports.
In January 2026, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation published updated rules for crossing the state border for children, completely removing the birth certificate from the list of documents that minors could use to travel outside the country. Thus, children under 14 years old residing in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories must have a Russian international passport to travel abroad.