The world will never recognize the forcible issuance of Russian passports to Ukrainians living in the occupied territories of Kherson region, said head of the European Union Mission in Ukraine Matti Maasikas.

"Russian occupation forces had to abandon all ideas of a ‘referendum’ in Kherson region due to the lack of any support. Why do they think that the now planned ‘passportizatsiya’ will have better uptake? And in any case, nobody will recognize any acts of that kind, ever, " Maasikas said on Twitter Thursday.