2022 annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine

In late September 2022, Russian-supported officials in Ukraine staged referendums on the annexation of occupied territories of Ukraine by Russia.^[1][2][3][4] They were widely seen as shams, or not taken seriously by many world leaders and commentators. Currently, only North Korea has acknowledged the results of the referendums.

The votes were conducted in four areas of Ukraine – the Russian puppet states of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic in the Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, as well as the Russian-appointed military administrations of Kherson Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast.^[5] Russia does not fully control any of the four regions.^[6] The referendums were illegal under international law and have been condemned by the United Nations.^[7]

On 30 September 2022, Russia's president Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts of Ukraine in an address to both houses of the Russian parliament. The United Nations, Ukraine, and many other countries condemned the annexation.^[8]

References

1. Trevelyan, Mark; Trevelyan, Mark (2022-09-27). "Moscow's proxies in occupied Ukraine regions report big votes to join Russia". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
2. "Russia moves to formally annex swathes of Ukraine". Reuters. 2022-09-20. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
3. "Война в Украине: ЛНР и ДНР объявили о "референдумах" о присоединении к России 23–27 сентября – Новости на русском языке". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
4. "На оккупированных территориях Украины 23–27 сентября проведут «референдумы о присоединении к России». Главное Тем временем в России вводят понятие «мобилизация» в Уголовный кодекс". Meduza (in Russian). Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
5. "Berdyansk: Life Under Russian Occupation". Institute for War and Peace Reporting. 8 April 2022. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
6. Walker, Shaun (23 September 2022). "'Referendums' on joining Russia under way in occupied Ukraine". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
7. "So-called referenda in Russian-controlled Ukraine 'cannot be regarded as legal': UN political affairs chief". UN News. 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
8. Trevelyan, Mark (2022-09-30). "Putin declares annexation of Ukrainian lands in Kremlin ceremony". Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-30.