Russia may delay votes to annex Ukraine territories as battlefield advance slows
- The referendums, originally set for next month, may be held in December or January because Russian military advances in southern and eastern Ukraine have stalled
- But even without the vote, Moscow has moved to integrate the occupied lands, installing its own officials to run them and mandating the use of the rouble
The referendums, originally targeted for next month, may be held as late as December or January because Russian troops haven’t yet been able to take full control of the areas the Kremlin seeks to claim as its own, according to people familiar with the discussions. The possibility of a delay was first reported on Thursday by the Meduza news website.
For the moment, however, the Kremlin hasn’t abandoned hopes of holding the votes in September and preparations are continuing, the people said. Publicly, Russian occupation officials have said the dates will be set once the security situation allows it.
Though any vote would be rejected internationally as illegal, the Kremlin aims to use the referendums as a symbolic triumph for the domestic audience in Russia more than six months after the invasion began, signalling its determination to keep control over the land even as Ukraine vows to eject its forces.
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A similar referendum was conducted hastily in Crimea days before Russia annexed it from Ukraine in 2014. That vote hasn’t been recognised by any major country. Kyiv and its allies have denounced it as illegal and said any others the Kremlin has in the works would similarly be shams.