Russian Fighters Seeking Ukrainian Citizenship in Ukraine War

Galina, a Ukrainian citizen, faces legal and social challenges due to her status as a Russian. Despite speaking Ukrainian, being married to a Ukrainian soldier, and living in Ukraine, Galina's passport identifies her as Russian, causing her to feel like an outsider. While Ukraine's migration service claims that all foreigners have equal rights, some Russian citizens have reported frozen bank accounts. Galina's expired Ukrainian passport prevents her from finding employment, accessing free healthcare, and registering her child's birth. The process of becoming a Ukrainian citizen is complicated, with Russians required to give up their Russian citizenship and risking potential arrest or being stranded. Galina, however, blames Russia for her situation and refuses to hold Ukraine accountable. Another Russian, Anastasia, moved to Ukraine in 2015 and faced propaganda-inspired concerns about speaking Russian and encountering hostility. Anastasia lost her job and received death threats in Russia due to her criticism of Crimea's annexation. Instead of leaving Ukraine, she decided to fight for the country and became a combat medic for Ukrainian forces. Although initially apprehensive about treating wounded Russians, Anastasia realized it was a way to help Ukrainians captured by the Russian army. Anastasia dreams of obtaining Ukrainian citizenship, and her military service and marriage to a Ukrainian could help her cause. Currently, only a few hundred Russians have been granted Ukrainian citizenship since the invasion.