In light of the current turmoil, referendums on joining Russia are scheduled for four regions of Ukraine on Friday. Currently, under Russian control, the provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia have local governments in place to oversee day-to-day operations.
“Voting has started in the referendum on the Zaporizhzhia region becoming a part of Russia as a constituent entity of the Russian Federation! We are coming home! Godspeed, friends!” said Vladimir Rogov, an official in the Russian-backed administration of that region.
The four provinces together make up around 15% of Ukraine’s total area, and as of right now, it is all but guaranteed that the results will favor annexation.
A similar process was followed by the Russian Govt. during its annexation of Crimea in 2014
“From the very start of the operation … we said that the people of the respective territories should decide their fate, and the whole current situation confirms that they want to be masters of their fate,” Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier this week when asked about the referendums.
Russia used a similar procedure to invade Crimea in 2014. It cited the results as evidence of “popular support” despite the annexation being rejected by the international community.
The majority of western countries have condemned Russia for this move
The situation may worsen as a result of the Ukrainian government’ prior declarations that they will not recognize or accept the referendum results. At the UN General Assembly, the majority of western nations also denounced Russia for this action. It has been condemned as illegitimate and a precursor to illegal annexation.
Although the referendums had been planned for some time, they were hastened by Ukraine’s recent success in regaining several occupied territories. The opposition forces went on to win in Kharkiv and Luhansk as the Russian forces lost territory in a number of locations.