Ukraine slams ‘fake elections’ in occupied regions, calls on world to reject them
- Voting for local officials opened in Ukrainian regions Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – none of which Moscow fully controls – as well as in Crimea
- The votes came as Russian air strikes across the country killed at least four people and wounded dozens more
Ukraine denounced what it called “fake elections” being held by Moscow on its occupied territory on Friday, while Russian air strikes across the country killed at least four people and wounded dozens more.
Russia said voting for local officials was open in the four Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – none of which Moscow fully controls – as well as in Crimea.
“Russia’s pseudo-elections in the temporarily occupied territories are worthless,” Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement, accusing Moscow of “grossly violating” its sovereignty.
The nation called on the international community not to recognise the ongoing “illegal elections” in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
“Russia’s sham elections in the temporarily occupied territories are null and void”, the Foreign Ministry in Kiev said on Friday. “They will have no legal consequences and will not bring any changes in the international status of Ukrainian territories seized by Russian military forces”.
Kiev also demanded that the organisers of the elections as well as the Russian rulers and members of the occupying administrations be brought to justice. New sanctions should also to be imposed on those responsible, the government demanded.