Referendums have begun in four Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions, which the international community has denounced as illegitimate and might result in Moscow annexing 15 percent of Ukraine's territory.
The self-declared "independent republics" of Luhansk and Donetsk, which have been ruled by separatists backed by Moscow since 2014, will continue to hold elections through September 27. as reported by Al Jazeera. The four locations will use an unusual voting process, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
Russia's Way to Further Push Its Ukraine Invasion
Due to the short deadlines and a lack of technological capabilities, it was said that traditional paper ballots were utilized in place of computerized voting. Locals will only be able to vote at polls on the last day; for the first four days, ballots will be collected door-to-door by election officials.
The four leaders of the region, who had been nominated quickly by Russia, disclosed their plans on Tuesday, following a quick Ukraine counteroffensive that swiftly recaptured large parts of the area in northeastern Kharkiv that Russia had seized after invading the country on February 24.
Since it is clear that the judgment favors annexation, Ukraine and its allies have made it clear that they would not accept it. The votes are seen as a major escalation of the seven-month conflict in Ukraine because incorporation would allow Moscow to claim that it was safeguarding its territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's gamble in Ukraine is much more brazen than anything the Kremlin has ever done. The Kremlin has previously utilized annexation and referendums to enforce its intentions.
According to a new declaration from UN experts, who also mention evidence of war crimes, a significant number of people have left the regions under Russian control, the procedure has been hastened forward, and tyranny is the setting for the referendums.
On the ballots being distributed, there was only one question: "Are you in favor of Ukraine seceding to establish a new country that would ally with the Russian Federation?"
"We will be able to make our historic decision," said Kirill Stremousov, head of the Russian occupation authority in Kherson, in southern Ukraine.
Sham Referendums
However, the referendums have been criticized by the UN, world leaders including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, and international agencies like NATO, the European Union, and Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The New York Times reported, at the UN General Assembly this week, Pres. Biden warned that "if nations can pursue their imperial ambitions without consequences," the global security system established to stop the horrors of World War II from happening again will be endangered.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked allies for their consistent support and declared that "the farce" of "sham" referendums will not change Ukraine's fight to oust Russia.
Observers caution that a hurried process is unlikely to be fair in areas where many voters reside close to the front lines, CNN reported. Additionally, given the substantial internal displacement that has taken place since the start of the conflict, voting databases are undoubtedly out-of-date.
A referendum in Crimea was held in 2014, and 97 percent of participants voted in favor. Russian lawmakers gave their approval to the annexation in less than a week.
