Russians are now applying for international passports 1.5 times more often

Over the past period, from January to March-April 2018, the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued 42% more foreign passports than during the same period in 2017.

The sources do not say what this dynamic is connected with, but there is reason to think. Either it is because of the simplification of document processing (now it can be done through the MFC), or people have “come to their senses” in anticipation of the increase in the duty. Although other reasons, more prosaic, are not excluded, which we can only guess about…