Russia moves to annex part of Ukraine

Russian-installed officials across 15% of Ukraine announced plans yesterday to hold referendums – or “sham” votes, per Ukrainian leaders – that could result in Russia annexing an area roughly the size of Hungary or Portugal by next week.

The move mirrors a similar ‘vote’ that occurred when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. At the time, Ukraine and many Western nations (the US included) said the referendum was unlawful, refusing to acknowledge Moscow’s authority over the peninsula ever since.

🗳️ More deets… Leaders of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions in Ukraine have all asked Moscow for permission to hold a four-day referendum starting this Friday.

• Russian officials welcome the move, saying it would allow the Kremlin more options for defending what they claim will become Russian territory.
• Ukraine’s leaders have consistently maintained they’ll never accept Russian control over the country – a view shared by ~84% of its citizens, per public polling.

🇺🇦 Zoom out: The planned referendums come as Ukrainian forces mount a counter-offensive that started earlier this month, which has reportedly recaptured 3,000+ square miles of territory previously occupied by Russia.