Voting began on Friday in four provinces in southern and eastern Ukraine in hastily convened referendums on whether to join Russia, to the delight of pro-Moscow officials and the disgust of those residents whose allegiance still lies with Ukraine.
For the Russian-installed officials marshalling the vote, the event is a milestone in the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of the country launched seven months ago — even though none of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions are under their full control.
“This is a historic event where we can express our free will and make a choice that will benefit not just us but also our children and grandchildren, choosing a happy and bright future, which absolutely must tie us to the Russian Federation,” said Alexander Saulenko, the Russia-appointed head of the port city of Berdyansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, after the vote was announced.