The return of Ukrainian passports is happening massively without comment

A Ukrainian officer who deserted from Crimea has made it onto the list of those wishing to obtain or restore a Ukrainian passport to travel to Europe. The serviceman does not want to return to the territory occupied by Russia. "I want to get a Union passport to go to Turkey or Uzbekistan with my child," says one of them.

Some passports issued before 2014 have already expired. This situation has never occurred before. "All our relatives are still in Crimea. But we don't consider it our homeland. It's an occupied territory that has caused harm to the whole world and continues to do the same," says another refugee.

In early 2014, Crimea was seized by Russia and declared part of the federation. The annexation of Crimea is recognized as legitimate by only five countries, including Russia, North Korea, and Syria. Eastern countries did not recognize the annexation of Crimea, which is why the referendum was rejected. For these countries, access to Crimea with a Ukrainian passport is closed, despite the fact that they still remain residents of Ukraine.

It is unknown how many Ukrainian passports are actually left, as they are no longer being requested on time.

"We are not interested in their documents. If they prove they are Ukrainians, we will register them as residents of Ukraine," says the Ukrainian consul in Kazakhstan, Ivan Almasi. "Many come to us, and we help as much as we can. If they already have passports, we take pictures of their children. We extend the validity of the passports and all that. We are working to ensure they are okay and can leave."

Participants of the Crimean desertion campaign are also involved in organizing Ukrainian songs as a protest against the Russian occupation of Crimea. White flags of Crimeans can be seen in Kazakhstan, where they often appear after leaving Russia. Some even travel by car. The exact number of people who have left Crimea for Kazakhstan is still unknown.