NOVO-OGARYOVO, March 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed Labour and Social Protection Minister Maksim Topilin to raise pensions of Crimea’s residents to the Russian level.

“All citizens of Russia should be put in equal conditions,” he said on Wednesday.

At the moment, Crimea’s pensions are two times lower. There are 677,000 pensioners in Crimea and Sevastopol.

On Tuesday, Russia signed the agreement on the accession of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.