President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a decree simplifying a procedure to obtain a Russian passport for residents of the southern Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
The southern region of Kherson is under the full control of Russian troops, while the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia is partially controlled by Moscow.
Moscow and pro-Moscow officials have said both regions could become part of Russia.
The official order published Wednesday came on the heels of a 2019 decree that allowed the same fast-track procedure for residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, eastern Ukraine's breakaway regions.
Applicants are not required to have lived in Russia, do not need to provide evidence of sufficient funds or pass a Russian language test.
Several hundred thousand residents of Ukraine's Donetsk and Lugansk regions have already received Russian passports.
On Monday, authorities in Kherson introduced the ruble as the official currency alongside the Ukrainian hryvnia. On Thursday, officials installed by Moscow announced the same measure in parts of the region of Zaporizhzhia.
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