EXPLAINER: What's behind referendums in occupied Ukraine?
Four occupied regions in eastern and southern Ukraine are set to start voting Friday in Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become part of Russia, setting the stage for Moscow to annex the areas in a sharp escalation of the nearly seven-month war
By The Associated Press
Published - Sep 22, 2022, 03:26 PM ET
Last Updated - Jun 24, 2023, 07:45 AM EDT
Four occupied regions in Ukraine are set to start voting Friday in Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become part of Russia, setting the stage for Moscow to annex the areas in a sharp escalation of the nearly seven-month war.
Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected the votes as illegitimate and neither free nor fair, saying they will have no binding force.
A look at the referendums and their potential implications:
WHY ARE THE REFERENDUMS HAPPENING?
