The centerpiece of Russia’s original invasion plan most likely involved rigged referendums.
The fact that Russia was only able to impose a pro-Russian local leadership in Kherson highlights the failure of the Russian invasion to achieve its political goals in Ukraine.
This is stated in the daily intelligence review British Ministry of Defense. The Russian-imposed “military-civilian administration” in Kherson said it would ask Russia to include the Kherson region into the Russian Federation.
“A central part of Russia’s original invasion plan highly likely included rigged referendums to place most of Ukraine’s regions under long-term pro-Russian rule,” the ministry said in a statement.
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If Russia holds a referendum on accession in Kherson, it will “almost certainly falsify the results to show a clear majority in favor of leaving Ukraine,” the intelligence agency said. “Citizens of the Kherson region are likely to continue to demonstrate their opposition to the Russian occupation,” the department added.
Recall that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the end of March informed about a pseudo-referendum that the invaders want to hold in the Kherson region. To this end, enemies collected data of residents of Kherson and Nikolaev regions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky declaredthat Ukraine will stop negotiating with the Russian Federation if the so-called “referendum” takes place. After that, the Russian Foreign Ministry denied from words about a pseudo-referendum. According to the mayor Kherson Igor Kolykhaev, the region can be attached to the Crimea.