The authorities have cancelled direct mayoral elections in Novosibirsk. Moscow and St.
Petersburg are now the only major cities where the electorate directly elects the mayor. The residents of Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk, two important cities in Siberia, have also not been able to elect the councilor since 2019. Putin signed a decree on Friday offering people living in these areas a path to Russian citizenship. Those who refuse or do not legalize their situation face deportation. The decree affects the four Ukrainian regions that Russia claims as its own and partially controls.