Officials of occupied Crimea consider idea of State Duma to check them for presence of Ukrainian passports to be criminal

Olga Timofieyeva, member of the Russian Federation Council from occupied Sevastopol, called the State Duma's proposal to check the officials of the peninsula for Ukrainian citizenship a criminal and discriminatory measure. With such a statement, she spoke on the air of the Sevastopol television, - separatist media report.

"If a person worked for five years, did not discredit himself in any way, did not take part in corruption fraudulent schemes – it is criminal to take this measure (checking for the Ukrainian passport – OstroV) with respect to a bona fide employee", - Timofieyeva stated.

The "senator" claims that Crimea and Sevastopol supposedly split from Ukraine and received Russian citizenship under a special procedure, therefore, "it is necessary to put a period, and not to try in any way to discriminate against the residents of Crimea and Sevastopol".

She was supported by the Crimean officials – collaborators, who explain their position by the "specifics of the region".

Ordinary residents of the occupied Crimea also believe that having Russian and Ukrainian passport is their privilege. "Mainland Russia is just jealous of us, because it cannot issue Ukrainian biometrics and use a visa-free regime with the EU, but we can!.. ", "A quarter of century of the Crimean life with Ukraine should be taken into account. Everyone has connections and business there. Without citizenship (Ukrainian - OstroV), people will lose a lot", - the "new Russian" Crimeans write on social networks.