A Ukrainian province wants a referendum on Russia’s annexation

“People will decide the future of the Zaporozhye region. A referendum is planned for this year”news agency TASS of Russia quoted Boris Rogov – a member of the Council of Military-Civil Administration of the Zaporozhye region (Ukraine) as saying.

However, another Ukrainian official rejected the plan, insisting local residents would never vote to annex Russia.

Russia controls two-thirds of the Zaporozhye region not long after launching a military campaign in Ukraine at the end of February. Zaporozhye with about 1.6 million inhabitants is home to Zaporozhye – the largest nuclear power plant in not only Ukraine but also Ukraine. of the whole of Europe.

Rogov confirmed that the Zaporozhye government will plan how to conduct a referendum even if Russia cannot gain control of the entire region.

Zaporozhye city – the capital of Zaporozhye is still controlled by Ukraine.

The Kremlin has previously insisted that people living in the area will decide their own future.

“Nothing can be done without the will of the people in these areas. Without their decision on how to go on and with whom to live,” he said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he rejected claims that Moscow was seeking a permanent presence in areas it controls in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Kiev has repeatedly stressed that any referendum held in areas occupied by Russia is illegal.

In an interview at the end of May, Mr. Rogov stressed that the only future for Zaporozhye is to become part of Russia, an entity that is inseparable from the Russian Federation.

“We don’t need gray zones, we don’t need a self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Zaporozhye. We want to be part of Russia.”he said.

The official added that more and more people in Zaporozhye are in favor of Russia annexation, and if this scenario plays out, it will only take them a few months to fully adapt.

In addition to Zaporozhye, Russian officials said that three other Ukrainian provinces, Donetsk, Lugansk and Kherson could hold referendums this summer to decide whether to join Russia or not.

“I don’t want to speculate, but I do think that the referendum activities in those areas could happen very soon, most likely this summer. And they could happen simultaneously. I do not rule out the possibility that this could happen as early as July.” Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma.