Russian news agencies announced this morning the start of
referendums on the annexation
to the Federation of some areas of Ukraine controlled in whole or in part by Moscow.
Voting will take place until 27 September in the pro-Russian separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk (east) and in the Russian-occupied areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia (south), in the context of Moscow's military offensive against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Kiev and the West have called the votes a "farce".
"For security reasons", in the first four days of the referendum, the population of the four regions will be invited to vote near their homes, rather than at the polling stations, or they will be driven around the homes of citizens, explains the news agency. Russian state tax.
Polling stations for refugees
were opened today in several Russian cities
.
The Central Electoral Commission of the Kherson region predicts that around 750,000 people will participate in the voting, with half a million people registered as voters in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The ballot papers for the referendum were printed for 1.5 million voters of the self-proclaimed Republic of Donetsk (RPD).
450 polling stations are available in the Republic and more than 200 in Russia for the residents of the Democratic Republic.
The Central Electoral Commission of the Democratic Republic has opened 461 polling stations in the Republic and 201 in Russia.
According to the Zaporozhzhia Region, 394 polling stations have been established in the region and another 102 in Russia.
Citizens of the Kherson Region can cast their vote in any of the eight territorial or 198 local electoral commissions,
The international community considers the referendum vote "illegitimate"
, and China has also spoken out against it.
The world will recognize neither the vote nor the probable declaration of annexation by the Kremlin, but the possible repercussions on the conflict in Ukraine are frightening.
