Moscow has controlled several key frontier points since 2014.
AVILO-USPENKA: To enter Russia from occupied Ukraine, all Tatiana has to do is arrive at the edge of the war-battered Donetsk region, show guards her Russian passport, say “thank you” and cross.
Tatiana used to have to go through a more arduous procedure to enter Russia – a check run by Moscow-sponsored separatists, then through Russian customs. The smoother crossings are one of the most visible signs of change since the Kremlin annexed the industrial Donetsk region alongside three other regions of Ukraine at a lavish ceremony last year.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in May that officials had handed out nearly two million Russian passports to Ukrainians in occupied regions. While the conflict has spilled over into Russia – with cross-border drone attacks and shelling now routine – Russian authorities are working to contain the fighting on one side of the border.
While entering Russia has become easier for civilians like Tatiana, difficulties remain for lorry drivers, who are still subject to meticulous checks by Russian customs officers.
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