war in Ukraine
Eastern Ukraine: Sham referendums started in occupied territories
People walk past a poster reading ‘Our choice – Russia’ in the Russian-backed and separatist-controlled Luhansk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine. photo
© Uncredited/AP/dpa
In southern and eastern Ukraine, Russia begins mock referendums. Without the consent of Ukraine, under martial law and not according to democratic principles. The separatist chief in Donetsk speaks of a “breakthrough into a new reality”.
In the areas occupied by Moscow in eastern and southern Ukraine, mock referendums on the region’s accession to the Russian Federation began on Friday.
The separatist leader Denis Puschilin spoke of a historic day in the “Donetsk People’s Republic” recognized by Russia. “This referendum is crucial, it is a breakthrough into a new reality,” he said in a video published on the Telegram news channel.
The Luhansk and Zaporizhia regions also informed about the start of voting. A mock referendum was also scheduled for the southern Ukrainian region of Cherson. The hundreds of thousands of people have until September 27 to cast their votes. The Luhansk region announced that citizens who fled to Russia could also vote there.
With the help of the result, Russia wants to incorporate the areas and invokes the “right of self-determination of peoples”. Neither Ukraine nor the international community recognize the vote under occupying Russia. These are sham referendums because they are being held without Ukraine’s consent, under martial law and not according to democratic principles. Free work by international independent observers is also not possible.