Russia’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that four Moscow-controlled regions of Ukraine had made a “free choice in favor of Russia” by voting for their annexation in “referendums” condemned by Kyiv and its Western allies.

“The results of this plebiscite speak for themselves: the residents of Donbass (Donetsk and Luhansk), Kherson and Zaporizhzhia do not want to return to their former life and have made a conscious and free choice in favor of Russia,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation reported. states in a press release, reports Agerpres.

According to Russian diplomacy, the inhabitants of these regions “had no other alternative”, while Moscow accused Kyiv of preparing repressions against the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine to justify its offensive.

“The logical result was the decision of the residents of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to ask for Russian protection,” Russian diplomacy also claims.

Echoing the official rhetoric used to justify Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, Moscow claims that “the population of Donbas has been systematically and cynically exterminated” by Kyiv’s forces since the start of the war with pro-Russian separatists in 2014.

How referendums were held in the occupied territories these days: officials of the pro-Russian administration carry ballot boxes from house to house, accompanied by armed men (Photo source: RIA Novosti / Sputnik / Profimedia)

The so-called annexation “referendums” organized by Moscow in the Ukrainian regions of Kherson Oblast, Zaporizhzhia (south), Donetsk and Luhansk (east) were condemned by the West as “fictitious” and “illegal” elections.

The group of the world’s seven most powerful economies (G7 – USA, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and Great Britain) declared that it would “never” recognize the results of these “referendums”, and Washington and the EU promised: a response in the form of additional sanctions against Moscow .

“Military special operation” in Ukraine renamed to “ATO”

At the same time, Moscow on Wednesday accelerated preparations for the annexation of a part of Ukraine, making public the results of these “referendums” on joining Russia. President Vladimir Putin may announce the integration of these regions into the Russian Federation during a speech expected in the coming days.

Denys Pushylin, who heads the Donetsk People’s Republic, whose independence Russia recognized in February along with the independence of Luhansk Oblast, said he was going to Moscow to complete the process of joining the Russian Federation.

“From now on, we are entering a new phase of military operations,” he said, while some expect Vladimir Putin to rename what he has called an “anti-terrorist operation” — to qualify the invasion of Ukraine — as a “special operation.” military”.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmytro Peskov said Russia would continue fighting at least until it takes control of all of Donetsk Oblast (region), nearly two-fifths of which is still under Ukrainian control.

President of the Federation Council (the upper house of the Russian parliament), Valentina Matviyenko, previously stated that the accession of four (Ukrainian) regions to Russia could be ratified on October 4.

___

• Follow the latest events of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HotNews.ro