Moscow – Four regions of Ukraine controlled by Moscow have decided to join Russia. Voting began last week in Luhansk and Donetsk, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which are part of the Donbas region. Its results have been declared, and the Russian authorities announced that more than 85 per cent of voters voted in favour of joining Russia. After that, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured the people of these four provinces that their security is Russia’s responsibility and it will be given priority in the future. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Western countries have rejected the referendum process and Ukraine will take care of the security of the people in its territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the issue of the security of citizens of Russian origin in the Donbas region and other parts of Ukraine when he launched a military campaign in Ukraine seven months ago. Putin had said that the Ukrainian regime was oppressing the Russian-speaking people, and Russia had to take the step of military action for their security. Russia has taken complete control of Luhansk province in Donbas in seven months. More than 70 per cent of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in southern Ukraine, including Donetsk, are under Russian control. Ukraine launched a counteroffensive last month to regain control of the area. Although it has had success in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, it has had little influence in other areas.
Against this background, Russian President Putin announced the referendum and said that further steps would be taken according to its results. After that last week, the referendum process has been urgently organized under tight security. Ukraine also tried to increase the intensity of attacks in the region to disrupt this process, but it did not succeed. On Wednesday, Russia announced the referendum results, announcing that all four provinces had decided to join Russia. Russia claimed that 78 per cent of people voted in Kherson province and 97 per cent in Donetsk. Russia has reported that 87 per cent of voters in Kherson voted to join Russia, while over 90 per cent of voters in Zaporizhzhia, including Luhansk and Donetsk, decided to join Russia.
Meanwhile, Western countries, including Ukrainian President Zelensky, have sharply criticized Russia’s referendum. President Zelensky threatened to liberate all areas under Russian control soon. Besides, the European Union has said that it will impose new sanctions.
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