The new authorities installed by the Kremlin in the Ukrainian region of Zaporiyapartially occupied by the troops of Vladimir Putinhave announced their intention to hold a “referendum & rdquor; before the end of the year to raise the possible integration of the region into the Russian Federation, as published by Russian news agencies. “The people will determine the future of the Zaporiya region. The referendum is planned for this year & rdquor ;, said Vladimir Rogov, one of the representatives of the occupying military administration.
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The referendum formula has already been used by Russia to give a patina of legality to its illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, despite not having any international recognition. More recently, it has also been considered in Khersonalthough the resistance that Russian troops continue to face there has left their intentions to hold the plebiscite up in the air.
“There is only one possible future for Zaporiya Oblast: has to be part of Russia, has to become a full-fledged subject of the Russian Federation & rdquor ;, added Rogov in statements to Ria Novosti. “We don’t need gray areas, we don’t need a Zaporiya People’s Republic. We want to be a part of Russia, as we were for hundreds of years in the past.” About two-thirds of the region is currently under the control of Kremlin troops, who have failed, however, to take the capital of this region of 1.6 million people.