Former US intelligence officer Edward Snowden has received a Russian passport, and his wife is in the process of applying for Russian citizenship.

According to APA's Moscow correspondent, Snowden's lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, said this.

The lawyer added that he met with Snowden the day before and that he is doing well.

It should be noted that in June 2013, Snowden caused a major international scandal by handing over a number of confidential materials related to the Internet surveillance programs of the US and British intelligence services to the Washington Post and Guardian newspapers.

After that, he flew to Hong Kong, and from there to Moscow, where he spent some time in the transit zone of the Sheremetyevo airport.

After a number of other countries refused, Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum for a year on the condition that he stop his activities against the United States.

In August 2014, Snowden received a three-year residence permit in the Russian Federation, and was later granted an indefinite residence permit.

Snowden received Russian citizenship by the decree of President Putin at the end of September this year.