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What did 4 January 2024 add to Russia's war effort?
Summary
A Russian decree on citizenship for foreign fighters came after a prisoner swap, a Turkish refusal and missile strikes on two Ukrainian cities.
What did Russia's war look like on 4 January 2024? On that day, President Vladimir Putin issued a decree granting Russian citizenship to foreigners who fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine, and to their families.
The decree arrived after several days of sharply contrasting developments.
Strikes on Kharkiv and Kyiv
On 2 January 2024, Russian missile attacks hit two Ukrainian cities. In Kharkiv, four civilians were killed and nearly 100 others were injured. In Kyiv, at least 27 civilians were injured.
A prisoner exchange
On 3 January 2024, Ukraine and Russia completed their first prisoner exchange in nearly five months. More than 200 people were released on each side. The United Arab Emirates mediated the exchange.
Turkey and the straits
Also on 3 January 2024, Turkey denied access to the Black Sea for two Royal Navy minehunters. Ankara said their passage through the Bosporus and Dardanelles would violate the Montreux Convention of 1936.
Reading the decree
Taken together, these events show the war continuing on several fronts: in missile attacks on cities, in negotiated returns of captives, and in disputes over foreign military support. The decree of 4 January 2024 added a legal incentive for foreigners to fight on the Russian side, extended to their relatives.
