Deputy Speaker of the Russian lower house of parliament visits Kherson region in Ukraine

Ms. Kuznetsova, Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives (State Duma) Russia discussed the provision of food as well as medical and other products needed by children during their visit to the Kherson region in Ukraine.

Ms. Kuznetsova belongs to an Orthodox priest and has given birth to 7 children. “We’re here to provide any kind of support,” she said during a visit to Kherson.

Russia’s RIA news agency did not specify the time of the visit of the Deputy Speaker of the Russian lower house of parliament.

Kherson, home to the port city of the same name, provides part of a land link between the peninsula Crimea which Russia annexed in 2014 and the Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.

Russian troops captured Kherson in early March and occupied the entire area bordering Crimea.

A few days ago, the Kremlin said, people living in the southern region of Ukraine decide whether they want to annex Russia or not. Such a historic step must be decided by the people and must be “completely legal”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed.

“It is up to the people of Kherson province to decide for themselves whether to make such a request and this should be considered by legal experts. Such a sweeping decision must have a clear legal basis and be completely legal, just like with Crimea,” Peskov told reporters on May 11.

Asked if there would be a referendum, Peskov replied: “I say nothing about a referendum.”

Peskov’s comments came after a senior official in the Russian-controlled region spoke out about the incident Kherson annexed Russia.