In the bushes and at gunpoint: Invaders holding pseudo-referendum in Luhansk region

In Luhansk region, the occupiers force people to vote in a pseudo-referendum even in the bushes near shops.

"In Starobilsk, [people] 'vote' in the bushes near the shops. It is easy to find the bushes as a handwritten sign reading "vote here" and a person holding a machine gun indicate a place," Serhiy Haidai, Head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, posted on Telegram.

In the town of Shchastya, a "polling station" was set on fire, Haidai added.

As reported, the leaders of the "LPR/DPR" and collaborators in the Russian-seized territories announced "referenda on joining Russia" on September 20 and scheduled them for September 23-27.

The leaders of Western countries stated that Russian sham referenda in Ukraine would be illegitimate.

At the same time, Russian president Vladimir Putin said on September 21 that Russia recognized the results of the "referenda".

Meanwhile, the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in August 2022 show that the vast majority of respondents in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are sure that their region should be an integral part of Ukraine and their well-being and security have significantly deteriorated since the occupation.

In particular, almost 73% of respondents consider the territorial claims of the Russian Federation on their region to be completely unfounded. Also, 82% of respondents in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine answered that they would not go to the referendum if the Russian Federation held it in their city.

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