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President Vladimir Putin signed a decree expediting Russian citizenship to foreigners who sign at least one-year contracts to serve in the military or in "military formations." The offer to foreigners also extends to the immediate family members of those who volunteer. The move comes as Russia struggles to replenish units fighting in Ukraine, where more than 300,000 Russians are estimated to have been killed or wounded since February 2022. Putin on January 4 also signed a separate decree simplifying citizenship procedures for Ukrainian citizens who were born and permanently reside in Crimea before 2014, the year that Russia forcibly annexed the Ukrainian peninsula.