​A Moscow-appointed pro-Russian official in the administration of Zaporizhzhia region said on Thursday that Ukrainian troops must leave the region immediately, otherwise they will be considered “occupiers”, Kommersant reports, citing Agerpres.

Currently, the Russian army controls 73% of the territory of the Zaporizhia region, the remaining 27%, including the regional center of Zaporizhia, is under the control of the authorities in Kyiv, reports the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

The Ukrainian armed forces should immediately withdraw from the rest of the Zaporizhzhia region, said a member of the Main Council of Management (Occupation) of this region in southern Ukraine, a pro-Russian politician whom the Ukrainian media called Volodymyr Rogovy. have connections with organized criminal networks.

“Otherwise, after the referendum, which will result in the region leaving Ukraine by declaring independence and joining the Russian Federation, Ukrainian troops will be perceived as “occupiers” and any of their actions as aggression against Russia,” he said. declared

Referendums were announced on the territory of the self-proclaimed “people’s” republics (LPR) and (DPR), respectively, which are part of the Donbas mining region in the east of Ukraine and in the southern regions of the country, Kherson region and Zaporizhzhia, which is approximately 15% of the territory of Ukraine.

Referendums on Ukrainian territory will be organized as in Stalin’s times

Pro-Russian officials in the Zaporozhye region have previously said that the referendum is aimed at the entire region, not just the part controlled by the Russian military.

According to the results of this referendum, residents of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions will answer questions about leaving Ukraine, forming an independent state, and joining the Russian Federation, Kommersant notes.

The self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk were recognized by Moscow two days before the Russian invasion on February 24, so residents there will only be asked to respond if they agree to join Russia, official Russian media reported.

After speaking on condition of anonymity with several people close to the Kremlin, Meduza investigative journalists wrote on Tuesday that the Russian authorities do not even intend to create an “illusion of legitimacy” regarding the annexation referendums.

“It will be important to organize some kind of vote and announce the result,” explained one of the sources.

The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, announced a package of EU sanctions against Russia due to referendums planned by Moscow in the occupied territories of Ukraine.