The referendum on joining Russia in the occupied Ukrainian territories began on Friday. The Ukrainian government and its Western allies see these plebiscites as a farce whose outcome is already certain. They don’t recognize the result.
Referendums will be held in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Voting lasts until Tuesday.
In areas where it is possible to vote, many residents have fled and fighting is still going on. The Russian invasion drove many Ukrainians out of those areas. There are almost only Ukrainians who agree with Russia and ethnic Russians. They are willing to let their residential area become Russian territory.
Consequently, the results of the referendums are already fixed. The West has now announced do not recognize the result.
The referendums were initially scheduled for mid-September. They were then suspended because there was too much fighting in the areas. Subsequently, November 4th was mentioned as a possible date. Now the referendums have been brought forward, because Ukraine is recovering much faster than expected.
Experts fear that Russia will use heavier weapons
Russia wants to use referendums to prove that the occupied territories are not Ukrainians but Russians. If the Ukrainian counterattack goes further east, Russian President Vladimir Putin could argue that it is an attack on Russian soil. This is important, because according to Russian law he can therefore use more and heavier vehicles.
The latest state of affairs in Ukraine.
The latest state of affairs in Ukraine.
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Experts fear that “Russia’s defense” may be one reason Putin uses nuclear weapons. Putin himself said Wednesday that he will use “all available means” to protect Russia. He added that he is not bluffing.
Putin’s confidant and former president, Dmitry Medvedev, has threatened to deploy “all weapons, including strategic nuclear weapons” to defend the annexed territory.
This is not the first time such referendums have been held. This also happened in view of the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. According to official results, about 97% of voters voted to join Russia.
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