MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. New requirements for entering Russia only on foreign passports for Ukrainians are aimed at stopping criminals from fleeing to Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristaiko said on Sunday.

"Entry on foreign passports will prevent alimony debtors and the violators of Ukrainian law from escaping responsibility and fleeing to Russia. Now border guards will be able to get a clear picture who is leaving the country and why," Pristaiko wrote on his Twitter account.

The Ukrainian foreign minister noted that the new requirements would also help reduce red tape. "A digital database with biometric passports is a quick and effective means that will make it easier for our consults to provide their assistance," he stressed.

The Kiev authorities announced on December 5 that starting from March 1, 2020 Ukrainian citizens won’t be able to cross the border with Russia on their domestic passports. The director of the Foreign Ministry’s consular service department, Sergei Pogoreltsev, said a simplified procedure of crossing the border with Russia for Ukrainian citizens posed a threat to Ukraine’s national security.