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Russian migration service head unaware of Yanukovych getting Russian citizenship or asylum

The media reports of Ukraine's former president Viktor Yanukovych allegedly getting Russian citizenship gave a link to the Facebook page of Ukrainian Interior Minister’s adviser Anton Gerashchenko

MOSCOW, October 23. /TASS/. Head of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) Konstantin Romodanovsky said on Thursday he knew nothing about alleged getting of Russian citizenship or asylum by Ukraine’s former President Viktor Yanukovych who was ousted amid mass protests in February.

On October 9, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich also told reporters he was not informed about this. “I cannot tell you anything. I don’t know. Granting citizenship is not the prerogative of the Foreign Ministry. In this case I cannot enlighten you.” “I’ve seen the related media reports, but would not comment on them,” the diplomat added.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on October 3 he as well knew nothing of granting Russian citizenship to the Ukrainian former president. “This information is unavailable to me,” he told journalists who asked him to comment on the media allegations on this issue.

The media reports gave a link to the Facebook page of Ukrainian Interior Minister’s adviser Anton Gerashchenko that said Yanukovych was allegedly granted Russian citizenship.