Russia claims victory in 4 sham Ukraine referendums, paving way to annex shrinking Ukrainian holdings
Russia announced late Tuesday that four Ukrainian regions it partially controls have voted overwhelmingly to join Russia. These preordained outcomes were dismissed by Ukraine and Western nations as illegal sham referendums, thin pretexts for the bald theft of 15 percent of Ukraine's territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to announce plans to annex Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson provinces on Friday, and Russia's parliament could vote on annexation legislation on Oct. 4.
Over four days of voting, "Ukrainians were alternately cajoled and bullied into casting ballots in referendums stage-managed by the Kremlin," The New York Times reports. "The Russian authorities and their proxies in Ukraine blended raw intimidation tactics," like armed men in ski masks, "with Orwellian messaging and a few stabs at festivities, among them thinly attended concerts on central squares."
Pro-Kremlin news sources report that approval in the four regions ranged from 87 percent in Kherson to 99 percent in Donetsk, percentages "that would be unusual in a vote of this nature," BBC News notes dryly. "Russian officials pre-ordained and falsified the approval ratings and alleged voter participation rates for the sham referenda while coercing Ukrainian civilians in occupied territories to performatively vote for Russian annexation," the Institute for the Study of War think tank assesses.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The referendum and annexations, even if recognized only by Syria and Nicaragua, would set up a new, more dangerous phase of Russia's invasion. Putin and other Russian officials have said Russia would consider annexed Ukrainian territory part of Russia and any attacks on those areas attacks on Russia. It would also, ISW notes, "enable the forced conscription of Ukrainian civilians into the Russian military in the normal autumn conscription cycle."
An estimated 200,000 Russian men have already fled Putin's draft, crossing into Kazakhstan, the European Union, or Georgia. Border guards are starting to crack down, handing conscription papers to men on a list.
Meanwhile, "the Ukrainian military offensive that ousted Russian troops from the Kharkiv region early this month has now crossed deep into the northern part of the nearby Donetsk region, increasingly threatening Russian control over lands that Moscow seeks to annex," The Wall Street Journal reports. Ukrainian forces are still on the defensive in parts of Donetsk, mostly fending off a mercenary-led attack on the city of Bakhmut, but Ukrainian forces continue their slow grind into Kherson province.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Mary Poppins tour: 'humdinger' of a show kicks off at Bristol Hippodrome
The Week Recommends Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers are 'true triple threats' as Mary and Bert in 'timeless' production
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Jaguar's stalled rebrand
In the spotlight Critics and car lovers are baffled by the luxury car company's 'complete reset'
By Abby Wilson Published
-
What the chancellor's pension megafund plans mean for your money
Rachel Reeves wants pension schemes to merge and back UK infrastructure – but is it putting your money at risk?
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine-Russia: are both sides readying for nuclear war?
Today's Big Question Putin changes doctrine to lower threshold for atomic weapons after Ukraine strikes with Western missiles
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What happens if Russia declares war on Nato?
Today's Big Question Fears are growing after Vladimir Putin's 'unusually specific warning' to Western governments
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Are Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets too little too late?
Today's Big Question US-made aircraft are 'significant improvement' on Soviet-era weaponry but long delay and lack of trained pilots could undo advantage against Russia
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's stolen children
Under the Radar Officially 20,000 children have been detained since Russia's invasion in 2022, but the true number is likely to be far higher
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
A brief timeline of Russia's war in Ukraine
In Depth How the Kremlin's plan for a quick conquest turned into a quagmire
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why is Ukraine backing far-right militias in Russia?
Today's Big Question The role of the fighters is a 'double-edged sword' for Kyiv, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
What does victory now look like for Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Not losing is as important as winning as the tide turns in Russia's favour again
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red Sea
Speed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published