Referendums begin in the republics of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhie to join Russia

The referendums, which will be held over 5 days on the accession to Russia of the people's republics of Donbass and the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhie, began at 8 am (local time) on Friday, September 23. If the results are positive, more than 5 million people could become Russian citizens.

According to local authorities, the regions are fully prepared for the procedure, which will reportedly be attended by Russian and foreign observers.
As it is celebrated?

For security reasons, during the first 4 days voting takes place outside the polling stations: citizens can vote in public places or at home, where volunteers will bring the ballot boxes. Meanwhile, on the last day of voting, September 27, you can go to the polling stations.

It should be noted that all refugees from the regions that are in Russia will be able to participate in the plebiscites and vote in electoral colleges enabled for this consultation.
What do the ballots say?

The ballots in the Donetsk People's Republic will have a question: "Do you support the DPR's accession to Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation?" In the Lugansk People's Republic it will be: "Are you in favor of the LPR becoming a subject of the Russian Federation?"

At the same time, residents of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions will be asked whether or not they vote in favor of the separation from Ukraine, the formation of an independent state and its accession to the Russian Federation.

"The voice of each of you will confirm the truth: Donbass is Russia," DPR leader Denis Pushilin said in his message to residents. He pointed out that the republics had been waiting for his return to Russia for many years, just as someone waits for the return to the family after many years of separation.

"The holding of the referendum is a historic milestone. Not only because we are confident in its positive result, but because it is the culmination of our difficult common path," he said.

"We are going home," commented Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the new civil-military administration of the region, at the start of the vote.

"Today is the first day of an event that we have walked towards for 8 long and hard years. They have intimidated us, they have tried to drown us in blood, they have cut off our electricity, water and gas, they have left us without food and livelihoods. They tried to break us and bring us to our knees. However, this time the Ukrainian fascists miscalculated, since it is impossible to bring Donbass, as an integral part of the Russian world, to its knees," said LPR leader Leonid Pasechnik .
The decision to hold the plebiscite

On Monday, representatives of the Public Chambers of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics addressed their leaders with a request to "immediately" hold a referendum on the inclusion of the regions in the territory of Russia.

Explaining the reason for the decision, the consultative body of the Lugansk People's Republic stressed that the passage will guarantee the protection of its territory and create new opportunities for its reconstruction and "return to a full peaceful life." "We consider [a step] timely as ever to make a resolute decision on immediately holding a referendum on the territory of the Lugansk People's Republic," he said. The events of the last few days showed that the kyiv nationalists crossed all the red lines," he added.

After that, the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, addressed the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, with a request, in case of a positive decision of the referendum, to consider the question of the union of the republic with Russia. "as soon as possible", emphasizing that the people of Donbass deserve it.

One day after the request was made by the Public Chambers of the two republics, members of the consultative body of the Ukrainian region of Kherson also asked the head of the regional military-civic administration, Vladimir Saldo, to hold "immediately" a referendum to join Russia.

For its part, in the Zaporozhye region, the We, together with Russia social movement presented its request in this regard to the provincial leader, Yevgeni Balitski, on Tuesday. "The sooner we become part of Russia, the sooner there will be peace, mutual understanding, well-being and guarantees that we are alive, healthy and free," said the movement's president, Vladimir Rogov.