Abkhazian Students in Russia Must Join Military Commission
Russia has a new requirement for Abkhazian students studying there. They must now join the Russian military commission.
Students who have dual citizenship – one from Russia and another from occupied Abkhazia – are affected. They can study in Russia as foreigners, but because they also have Russian citizenship, they need to join the military commission.
Sergei Shamba said this is not a new rule. He explained that Russians had been ignoring it until now. Students will only be drafted into the army after graduation, if they stay in Russia. If they don’t enlist, they might face problems getting Russian citizenship.
The reason for this change is to make sure students with dual citizenship get Russian citizenship officially. Shamba said there’s a delay because the Russian president needs to issue another decree about granting Russian citizenship quickly.
Sergei Shamba was surprisingly happy about this development. He thought it would be good if Abkhazian students went back home instead of staying in Russia after graduation.