Russia: the Kremlin is considering delaying votes in its occupied territories in southern and eastern Ukraine. This could be a blow to Russia's efforts to consolidate its gains. As its military advances in the regions have stalled
Since Russian forces have yet to fully occupy the areas the Kremlin wants to claim, the referendum, originally scheduled for next month, may not take place until December or January. , according to people familiar with the discussion. The Meduza news website was the first to report on the potential delay on Thursday.
But for the time being, according to sources, the Kremlin is planning to hold elections in September. Russian occupation officials have publicly stated that dates will be set as soon as the security situation allows it.
The Kremlin intends to use the referendum as a symbolic victory for a home audience in Russia more than six months after the invasion began, signaling its determination to keep control of the land, even though Ukraine A vow to oust his army, even if a vote would be internationally dismissed as illegal.
A few days before Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a hastily organized referendum of a similar nature was held there. No significant nation has recognized that vote. This was outlawed by Kyiv and its allies, who said any additional plans the Kremlin had planned would also be forgery.
As Kyiv's forces increase attacks behind Russian lines with new long-range weapons supplied by the US and its allies, the Russian military advance, which has been hampered for months by fierce Ukrainian resistance, has largely stalled. .
According to Ukrainian officials, a more comprehensive counter-offensive to reclaim lost territory could begin in the autumn.
Although Russian forces struggled to capture the region around the capital Kyiv in the early stages of the invasion, they were successful in increasing their control over the Donbass in the east and the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya in the south. Between the Donbass and the Crimean peninsula under Russian control, they form a land link.
While tens of thousands of residents have fled the fighting, the Russian military does not fully control any of those areas, which could make it more difficult to claim an annexation vote than to claim any legitimacy.
Even without a referendum, the Kremlin has taken steps to integrate the occupied territories, appointing its leaders to lead them, requiring the use of the ruble, and schools to reflect its view of events. Taught history has changed.
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