According to an early depend, as much as 98% of electorate have mentioned sure to becoming a member of Russia within the 4 Moscow-occupied spaces of Ukraine, Russian state-owned media shops reported on Tuesday.
The referendums, which Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced at the side of the partial mobilisation on closing Wednesday, had been blasted via the West as a sham, rigged to strengthen Moscow’s claims over the southern Ukrainian areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk and Luhansk within the east.
The Ukrainian shops identified that the inhabitants figures Russian-installed government cite are wrong since round 80% of the pre-war population have both left Ukraine as refugees or have turn into internally displaced in different portions of the rustic.
The ultimate depend is predicted as early as Tuesday night. Putin is poised to announce the annexation of the 4 territories as early as Friday, when he’s scheduled to handle the Russian parliament.
Earlier, Moscow has vowed to offer annexed areas of Ukraine “full protection,” which might additionally contain using its nuclear arsenal.
Our reporters are operating in this tale and can replace it once additional info turns into to be had.