Four Ukrainian territories occupied by Putin’s forces opened voting on referendums to officially become part of Russia despite widespread condemnation from Ukrainian lawmakers and Western officials. The referendums—which are being held in Luhansk, Kherson, and the partially occupied regions of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk—are seen as a step on the way for the areas being annexed by Russia. If the regions do formally align with Moscow, critics fear that Putin may then use Ukrainian attempts to retake the territories as a way of claiming that Russia itself is being attacked, which in turn could lead to a dramatic escalation in the conflict. In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to the votes as “sham referenda” and spoke directly to Russian citizens to say they are being “thrown to their deaths” following the Kremlin’s mass military call-up this week, which has plunged Russia into chaos.
