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Ukraine bans entry to Russians with national passports for security reasons — ForMin

Ukraine’s government has announced that since March 1 Russians will be allowed to enter Ukraine using only their foreign passports

KIEV, February 3. /TASS/. Ukraine is banning entry for Russians with national passports on "security grounds," the country’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevgeniy Perebeinos told reporters on Tuesday.

"We have taken advantage of our right and introduced the entry to Ukraine’s territory for Russian citizens only on foreign passports. We have done this on security grounds," the spokesman said.

Ukraine’s government has announced that since March 1 Russians will be allowed to enter Ukraine using only their foreign passports. The holders of diplomatic and service passports, as well as seaman's identity cards and flight certificates, will be allowed into the country.

Kiev also bans Russian citizens under 14 from travelling to the country on birth certificates, which was earlier allowed under a 1997 bilateral agreement on visa-free trips.

The decree on the measures was signed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on Tuesday.

Russian lawmaker Vasily Likhachev of the State Duma committee for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) affairs and compatriots said on Tuesday the move could trigger Moscow’s response.