MFA says "referenda" in occupied areas to be null and void

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the intentions of Russian proxy forces to hold in the occupied areas of Ukraine "referenda" on their accession to Russia.

This was reported by MFA Ukraine’s press service, according to Ukrinform.

"Ukraine is closely monitoring the intentions of the Russian Federation to hold so-called referenda on the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Such fake plebiscites will have no legal consequences and neither will they alter the administrative-territorial structure and internationally recognized borders of Ukraine. Neither Ukraine nor the international community will recognize their void outcome," the ministry said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers the intention to hold sham referenda, as well as the moves to force residents of temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories to obtain Russian passports, as another attempt by Russia to legitimize consequences of its war of aggression, waged against Ukraine.

"No matter how many illegal referenda Russia holds in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the result will be the same: all Ukrainian territories will be liberated from Russian occupation, and the Russian leadership will be prosecuted as strictly as possible for organizing terror, war crimes, and crimes against humanity on Ukrainian soil," emphasized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Persons who will set up pseudo-referenda will be targeted in criminal proceedings. Ukraine’s competent authorities will take measures to track them down and bring them to justice.

"Ukraine calls on international partners to strongly condemn Russia's intention to hold an illegal vote in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, to impose new sanctions on Russia, and to recognize it as a state sponsor of terrorism," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the head of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Zatulin, spoke in favor of accepting the temporarily captured territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as part of Russia.

Russian media write that the occupying administrations decided to hold in the temporarily captured territories of Kherson and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine "referenda on accession to Russia".

"Referenda on accession to Russia" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine will be held from September 23 to 27," Meduza writes, citing two sources close to the Russian president's administration.

The announcement came against the background of the Ukrainian Army's counteroffensive, during which the territories of Kharkiv region, previously captured by Russian forces, were liberated.