“About two-thirds of the candidates for these pseudo-elections are not local residents. They are citizens of the Russian Federation brought in from other territories or directly from the Russian Federation itself,” Yusov said.
All candidates are either Russian or pro-Russian. Among them are also officials chosen by Moscow.
As the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate noted, Ukrainians in the occupied territories “completely ignore the occupation authorities and the so-called official procedures of the occupation, including pseudo-elections.”
“But of course, like forced passports, these elections are also forced. People are literally forced by repressive methods to obtain Russian citizenship and a Russian passport, creating impossible conditions for continuing business, employment, receiving humanitarian and medical aid, as well as any service , for obtaining a certificate and a document, which are necessary for a normal life,” Yusov emphasized.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine noted that the pseudo-election votes will not have any legal force.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also condemned what is happening, saying: “Russia’s fictitious elections in the occupied areas of Ukraine are illegitimate.”
This prompted a reaction from the Russian embassy in the US, which accused Washington of meddling in Moscow’s internal affairs.
Mock elections conclude on Sunday in four regions that Russia does not even fully control – eastern Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the southern regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson.
Together, they make up about 15% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
Elections are also being held in Crimea, which has been under illegal Russian occupation since 2014, and are being held in parallel with local elections in Russia itself.
2023-09-09 11:14:53
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