This thesis takes a closer look at Russia’s use of passportization in Donbas, 2019. How it was used as a calculated step towards its full-scale invasion in 2022. By distributing Russian passports to over 700,000 people living in separatist-controlled areas, Russia essentially created a legal and political excuse to justify its actions, presenting them as a way to “protect” their nationals. Passportization goes beyond humanitarian concerns - it actively undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, violating Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. It also complicates efforts to resolve the conflict through agreements like the Minsk accords.
By comparing this strategy to similar situations in Georgia and Moldova, the paper highlights a pattern in Russia’s tactics: passportization is used as a weapon in its hybrid warfare strategies. Finally, the Donbas case shows how citizenship can be weaponized to weaken state sovereignty, destabilize regions, and set the stage for military action under a mask of legality.