The fake referendum on a possible union with Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine ends Tuesday. The West and Kiev call them mock referendums, the results of which they do not accept. Putin himself could spring into action on Friday, announcing the annexation — which would mean Russia annexing an area of at least 90,000 square kilometers.
Specifically, the referenda are about 15 percent of Ukraine – an area about the size of Portugal. In addition, about three percent of Ukrainian territory, currently not controlled by Russian soldiers, will be incorporated into the Russian Federation. These include front lines where fighting is still ongoing, for example in the Donetsk region.
Adding the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed in 2014, Russia would have taken at least a fifth of Ukraine’s territory.
Massive criticism of fake votes
The referendums are not recognized worldwide because they are held in violation of Ukrainian and international laws and without minimum democratic standards. In the Luhansk region, authorities again reported shelling from several rocket launchers on the city of Alchevsk. Still, all polling stations are open, it said.
Russian state television has been showing people in the occupied territories for days who are happy that they will soon be part of Russia. Independent media, on the other hand, criticize that people would vote under pressure and at gunpoint.
“Agreement” up to 90 percent expected
The occupation authorities are expected to announce the results of the fake referendum on Tuesday evening. The approval for joining the Russian Federation is expected to be between 80 and 90 percent. After that, the separatist leadership wants to officially apply to Russian ruler Vladimir Putin for admission to Russian territory.
Connection can be fast
The process can be fast. After the referenda, the affected areas could ask to be included in the Russian Federation. Putin and the Russian parliament could then quickly give the green light. British military intelligence does not rule out the possibility that Putin can formally announce his admission to the Russian Federation next Friday, as a speech to both houses of parliament is scheduled that day.
In the case of Crimea, the process lasted only a few weeks: on February 27, 2014, Russian troops took control of the peninsula. The referendum on accession to Russia took place on March 16. Crimea was formally admitted to the Russian Federation on March 21.
Ukraine again with territorial gains
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces achieved further victories in the Kharkov region of eastern Ukraine, on the eastern bank of the Oskil River. The settlement of Pisky-Radkivski is back under Ukrainian control, the board of the Borova municipality told the Telegram news service on Tuesday evening. Before the Russian invasion on February 24, the settlement had about 2000 inhabitants.
The Ukrainian General Staff had previously written about Russian shelling of Kupyansk-Vuslovyj, about 40 kilometers to the north, indirectly confirming that the city was being recaptured. Kupyansk-Vuzlovyj is an important railway junction on the left bank of the Oskil.
Support in Russia is crumbling
British secret services assume that the Russians will not support Putin’s plans as he hopes. The recent partial mobilization of Russian reservists and increasing knowledge about Ukraine’s setbacks are likely to cloud approval significantly, it said.
Before the sham referendum, President Putin had emphasized that the areas would then be fully protected by the nuclear power Russia. He warned Ukraine that if the shelling of the areas continued, Moscow would consider it an attack on Russian territory and defend itself with all available means.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
