The Russian Election Commission announced on Thursday that local elections will be held on September 10 in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, declared annexed in September 2022.
According to the commission, the purpose of the elections is to elect regional assemblies and municipal councils at a time when fighting is taking place in the regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, in the east, and Zaporijia and Kherson, in the south.
Fighting continues in these regions and Ukraine is currently launching a counter-offensive to liberate them.
Almost a year and a half after the launch of the offensive against Ukraine, on February 24, 2022, Russia controls about 17% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, a peninsula annexed in 2014.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the annexation of the regions of Kherson, Zaporijia, Lugansk and Donetsk last September after holding pseudo-referendums in the regions despite fighting and near-unanimous criticism from the international community.
Putin presents these regions as historically Russian lands and claims that Kiev will have to agree to cede them in order to achieve peace.
Ukraine excludes any commitment regarding its territorial integrity.
Source: DN
