Ukrainian officials say residents of Russian-occupied territories are ignoring referendums organized by Kremlin-backed local authorities, but have acknowledged that in some cases residents are being forced to vote, CNN reports.

Denis Pusilin Photo: Oleksandr Ryumin / TASS / Profimedia

Referendums announced on Tuesday in four parts of Russian-controlled Ukraine have been widely condemned by Western governments as a farce and are being held with few or no international observers other than delegates from Russia.

“There is no referendum as such. It is a fake. Local residents ignore it. Some people are simply forced to vote. There were buses of people who were brought from Crimea to vote,” Andriy Yusov, SBU employee.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it had uncovered documents showing that the Russian-backed so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” planned to expand the electorate by getting under-18s to vote.

In order to strengthen control over “voting turnout”, Donetsk officials decided that minors should be accompanied to the polling stations by their parents, guardians or representatives of so-called children’s homes, the SBU added.

Pro-Russian officials in the occupied zones enthusiastically touted the referendums as a historic change.

“Today is a day that happens in history once every few centuries. I personally always knew it would happen. I always felt like a part of a huge family called Russia. Dreams have come true,” Volodymyr Saldo, head of the Kherson regional state administration, said in his Telegram channel.

During the vote, Saldo expressed confidence that, being part of the Russian Federation, “our Kherson region and, most importantly, its people will be protected. Protected in every way.”

The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denys Pusilin, also cast his vote, saying: “I feel surprise and confidence that what we fought for so long is finally becoming a reality. This is a return home. A return to great Russia. History is being made today.”

Voting continues until Tuesday.

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