Vladimir Putin grants full Russian citizenship to Edward Snowden

Russian President Vladimir Putin granted full Russian citizenship to U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden on Monday.

Snowden, 39, fled the United States to Russia after revealing information about extensive surveillance operations being conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA). He is now a Russian citizen by presidential decree, Reuters reported Monday.

The announcement comes roughly two years after Russia granted Snowden permanent residency in the country.