MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) – After the conclusion of mock referendums in several Ukrainian regions, the Russian occupiers presented an alleged overwhelming approval of the local population for annexation to Russia. After counting all the votes in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, more than 99 percent of voters agreed, the occupation administration there said on Tuesday evening. According to Russian information, it was more than 98 percent in Luhansk, more than 93 percent in Zaporizhia in the south and more than 87 percent in Cherson, also in the south. Thus, an unprecedented Russian annexation of the Ukrainian territories is likely to begin in the coming days.
The mock referendums are not recognized worldwide because they are held in violation of Ukrainian and international laws and without minimum democratic standards. Over the past few days, observers have pointed to numerous cases in which Ukrainian residents of the occupied territories have been forced to vote.
In a next step, it is expected that the occupation administrations deployed by Moscow will officially be reported to the Kremlin chief Wladimir Putin apply for admission to Russian territory. Before the start of the sham referendums, Putin had emphasized that the areas would then be completely under the protection of the nuclear power Russia./haw/DP/he