Ukraine (bbabo.net), - The first day of voting in referendums - September 23 - ended in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. As the head of the Central Election Commission of the LPR, Elena Kravchenko, said, the voter turnout in the republic as of 20.00 was 21.97%, that is, more than 298 thousand people. She also said that in Lugansk, during the referendum, the chairmen of precinct commissions received messages with threats from Kyiv on their phones. According to Vladimir Vysotsky, chairman of the DPR CEC, the turnout on the first day was slightly higher - 23.64%. This is more than 370 thousand people. He pointed out that on the first day there were no complaints from voters and no information about violations.
500 media representatives took part in the coverage of the first day of the referendum in the DPR, said Vladimir Vysotsky, chairman of the DPR CEC. “Today, 500 media representatives took part in the coverage of this event,” the chairman said. Legitimacy was monitored by 129 international observers, he added. The referendum on joining Russia started on Friday in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Voting will continue for five days, until September 27th.
US President Joe Biden said that "quick and heavy" economic sanctions would be imposed against Russia in response to referendums being held in the Donbass, in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine. “We will work with our allies and partners to impose additional rapid and severe economic costs on Russia,” Biden said in a statement. He reiterated that the US will not recognize the results of the referendums and will continue to support Ukraine. The referendum on joining Russia started on Friday in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Voting will continue for five days, until September 27th.
Turkey does not recognize the results of the referendums held in Ukraine, the official representative of the Turkish President, Ibrahim Kalyn, said on NTV on Friday. “We do not recognize the initiative of unilateral referendums held in Ukraine. Our position has not changed since 2014, when we did not recognize the results of the referendum in Crimea. We recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. In this war, we are on the side of Ukraine. Turkey is the only country that is making efforts to end the war,” Kalin said. In his opinion, the conflict in Ukraine in connection with the partial mobilization announced in Russia may drag on. “We initially assumed that the war could last a long time. The current situation speaks in favor of the fact that it will drag on,” Kalyn said.
The Pentagon has developed a strategy for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to conduct military operations in the Zaporozhye region, which will become “suicide” for the Ukrainian troops, said Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the regional administration, in an interview with Ukraina.ru. “The Pentagon has developed a strategy for military operations on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia region, the fighter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Zelensky’s General Staff and so on are pushing for its implementation. But the military is well aware that this is suicide,” said Rogov. He explained that the American plan involves forcing the Dnieper River with the help of pontoon crossings and landings. Such tactics will end for Kyiv with thousands of deaths, Rogov emphasized. “Therefore, their army is already trying in every possible way to move away from this,” the politician noted.
bbabo.Net