Voting has begun in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine in a referendum that Russia is expected to use to justify the annexation of four regions. The votes have been widely denounced by Ukraine and the West as shams without any legal force.
Thomson ReutersA woman from Luhansk region, the territory controlled by a pro-Russia separatist government, but who lives in Russia, votes at a temporary accommodation facility in Volgograd, Russia on Friday. Voting began Friday in four Moscow-held regions of Ukraine on referendums to become part of Russia.
The vote, which asks residents if they want their regions to be part of Russia, is certain to go Moscow's way. That would give Russia the pretext to claim that attempts by Ukrainian forces to regain control are attacks on Russia itself, dramatically escalating the seven-month war.The referendums follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's order of a partial mobilization, which could add about 300,000 Russian troops to the fight.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, addressed the occupied regions Friday in an online statement, saying: "If you decide to become part of the Russian Federation — we will support you."Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy only briefly mentioned the "sham referenda" in his nightly address in which he switched from speaking in Ukrainian to Russian to directly tell Russian citizens they are being "thrown to their deaths.
"We were struck by the large number of executions in the areas that we visited. The commission is currently investigating such deaths in 16 towns and settlements," Erik Mose, the commission's chairman, said. He said his team had received and was documenting "credible allegations regarding many more cases of executions.
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