KYIV. Sept 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) is in favor of amending legislation to expand the possibility of concluding contracts between foreign citizens and Ukrainian agencies participating in the Joint Force Operation (JFO) in Donbas.

"In the near future, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko will hold a meeting with Interior Minister Arsen Avakov on the issue dealing with arrangements for a simplified procedure for granting foreign citizens a residence permit in Ukraine who are on the front line in volunteer units protecting our country," said PGO spokesman Andriy Lysenko at a press conference in the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Friday.

Also, on September 20, on the instructions of the Prosecutor General, criminal proceedings were opened under Part 2 of Article 367 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (official negligence) on the extradition of Timur Tumgoev, who fought for Ukraine in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas.

"From today, prosecutors have started to work on his issue," Lysenko said.

Lysenko said there is a possibility of amending the Law on Military Duty and Military Service to permit concluding contracts with foreign citizens not only with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but also with other security forces of Ukraine participating in JFO in Donbas.

"We will appeal to the Committee for National Security and Defense of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in order to correct this systemic omission at the legislative level. People who come from other countries to Ukraine to fight for its independence and freedom should have legal status and enjoy the rights of citizens of Ukraine," Lysenko said.

According to him, measures will also be strengthened to check citizens who are on the territory of Ukraine in order to ensure the safety of Ukrainian servicemen and volunteers.

In turn, the commander of the 8th battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, Andriy Gergert (nom de guerre Cherven), said that at the moment two fighters have already been removed from the extradition record.

"One young man was released in Mykolaiv region, and another fighter is also in Kharkiv, plus nine are also now in the process of being removed from this extradition process," he added.

Also, according to him, there is an agreement with law enforcement agencies that a special inspection will be set up at the PGO to simplify the procedure for granting residence permits in Ukraine to foreign citizens who fought in Donbas. The commission may include: editor-in-chief of censor.net, Yuriy Butusov, Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Chairman and Petro Poroshenko Bloc Deputy Chairman Refat Chubarov, as well as a fighter of the 8th Volunteer Battalion.

"We expect 100% implementation of the agreements reached between us and representatives from the Ukraine's law-enforcement ministries," Cherven said.

In addition, he said he hoped Tumgoev's extradition would be "sufficient price" to resolve the situation of 25 fighters who are currently registered with the State Migration Service (that is, they do not have a residence permit in Ukraine).

According to Butusov, the goal of the negotiations at the PGO is to regulate the status of foreign volunteers, all people who help the army and take part in hostilities.

"Now the volunteer who helps is fighting in the ranks of the volunteer unit, according to the report of the commander of the volunteer unit, he can get a reason for the quick submission of documents for residence in Ukraine." We can finally legalize the status of those people who come to our aid," Butusov said.

Butusov stressed that this does not mean that volunteer battalion commanders would not work as a branch of the Migration Service.