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In Mariupol, two women fill out the "voting slips" of the fake referendums
Photo: ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO / REUTERS
Russia is currently holding "referendums" on annexation in four occupied areas of Ukraine - and is getting unexpected help from Germany for the project: in the Zaporizhia region, the managing director of a regional energy supplier is apparently taking part in the supposed election as an "observer".
According to the Russian news agency Tass, Stefan Schaller praised the "very good organization" of the processes on site.
Schaller manages Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg (EWF), an energy supplier with around 380 employees, which also organizes local transport and operates swimming pools.
Tass quotes Schaller as saying he's had a long journey and can't draw many conclusions yet, but his first impression is that everything is "very well organized".
The people are "enthusiastic" about the "elections" and want to "prevent something dangerous".
"They are very afraid that something bad is going to happen and are working to prevent it," said Schaller, according to Tass.
Schaller confirmed to the »Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine« (»HNA«) that he was on site as an »election observer«.
The newspaper reports that he was invited by the Russian Civil Chamber at the suggestion of the Russian Communist Party – as in 2021, when he took part in the elections to the State Duma in Russia as an observer.
However, his stay in Zaporizhia was purely private and not business, he took vacation for that.
The news portal t-online reported on the case first.
»Knowing that I only see what I am supposed to see«
Schaller further told the HNA that he "wanted to get an idea of the situation on site".
"Also because I believe that objective information can never be wrong." At the same time, according to the HNA, Schaller is aware that his presence and his words are probably playing into the hands of Russian propaganda.
"I state what I see, knowing that I only see what I am supposed to see," he said.
Putin is only conducting the alleged referendum because he already knows the result.
Schaller did not say to what extent this should go together with the collection of "objective" information.
The pseudo-referendums on the union with Russia were announced at short notice on Tuesday in the regions partially occupied by Russia.
Ukraine had previously recaptured many of its towns and cities in the east and south of the country in a counter-offensive.
The sham referendums are illegal under international law, their outcome is assumed and they could lead to a further military escalation: Moscow could then interpret attacks to recapture these occupied Ukrainian regions as attacks on its national territory.
Schaller's journey could have consequences
A few days ago, a similar trip had already caused bewilderment: On Tuesday, three AfD politicians announced that they would cancel their trip to Russia and occupied areas of Ukraine after sharp criticism from outside and within the party.
According to their own statements, the AfD party leadership knew nothing about the trip, distanced itself from it and announced that it would work up the case.
Schaller's trip could also have an aftermath for the manager: the chairman of the supervisory board of Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg, district administrator Jürgen van der Horst, calls the committee together at short notice on Monday "to coordinate the future of the management".
According to the district's website.
The district is examining the trip “currently very critically”.
The district initially did not respond to a request from SPIEGEL.
District Administrator van der Horst also clearly condemned the pseudo-referendums: »The forced referendums by Russia in Ukraine are hypocritical and contrary to international law and an excuse to appropriate the Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine.
We condemn this illegal annexation in the strongest possible terms.'
The committees of the district, according to "HNA" the council of elders, should meet in the matter of Schaller this Saturday.
The Ukrainian Ambassador Andrij Melnyk asked District Administrator van der Horst on Twitter to "throw out" Schaller.
Schaller was aiding the Russian war of aggression, the ambassador continued.
According to Melnyk, criminal proceedings against Schaller will be initiated in Ukraine.
