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Today, until September 27, referendums will be held in the regions Luhansk AndDonetsk AndKherson AndZaporizhia.
Information about the polling areas
- The area of Ukrainian territory controlled by Russia is 100,000 square kilometres, which is approximately 20 percent of the country’s total area.
- The population of those areas under Russian control ranges from 5 to 7 million, which is approximately 15 percent of the total population of Ukraine.
- Lugansk: It has an area of more than 26.5 square kilometers, and a population of about two and a quarter million people.
- Donetsk: It covers an area of 26.5 km², and its population exceeds 4 million.
- Kherson: an area of 28 thousand square kilometers and a population of about one million people.
- Zaporozhye: an area of 20 thousand square kilometers and a population of more than one and a half million.
popular choice
The head of the Russian-Arab Dialogue Center, Muslim Shaito, says in an interview with the website "Sky News Arabia" :"It was these four regions that demanded the organization of referendums in them to get rid of the prolonged Ukrainian oppression, and therefore joining Russia is a general popular choice in those regions, which are divided into two parts:
- The first: those located in the Donbas region in the east, and including the republics of Lugansk and Donetsk, which have taken the initiative since 2014 to declare their independence from Kyiv, but for 8 years they have been subjected to violent pressure and almost daily bombardment by Ukrainian forces, which led to the death of more than 14 thousand people from Kiev. their citizens, and therefore the referendum to join Russia is the only way for Luhansk and Donetsk to escape from the continuing Ukrainian threats".
- The second: the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions are located in the south, and their residents have always suffered from persecution and discrimination against the background of being in the majority of Russians, and therefore the referendum in them enjoys wide popular support, as the number of eligible voters is estimated at more than half a million, while the total of their population It was more than 5 million people, but due to the discriminatory policies of Kyiv and due to the war, many of them emigrated over the past years".
Historical background
Shaito adds: "These four regions are historically Russian, for example Kherson was one of the most important ports Russian Empire in Black Seaas well as the port Mariupol cityand even the capital of Ukraine was called in Tsarist era With the Russian Kiev, as the inhabitants of these regions speak Russian as a mother tongue, and have deep historical, religious and cultural ties to Russia, whether in its tsarist eras or in the times of the former Soviet Union.".
The expert on Russian affairs elaborates on:"The Soviet state distributed its administrative regions and territories, according to ideological considerations and calculations, to establish many republics. Boris Yeltsin who replaced Gorbachev As the first president of the new Russian Federation, about Russia’s historical and geographical rights in those republics such as Ukraine, for example".
Areas rich in natural resources
"These areas enjoy great natural wealth and resources and are a major source of coal, grains and crops, especially sunflowers"According to Shaito.
He adds: "In addition to the many factories that distinguish it, which date back to the time of the Soviets, which is the most prominent factor that prompted the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, to annex it at the time to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic in an effort to create a strong working class in it in line with the ideology of Marxism-Leninism".
A new geopolitical reality
For his part, Rami Al-Qalyubi, an expert on Russian affairs and a professor at the Moscow Higher School of Economics, said in an interview with the website "Sky News Arabia": "Two of the four regions that will join Russia, namely Donetsk and Luhansk, even before the upcoming referendums are held tomorrow, are outside the control and authority of Kyiv, since 2014 they have been separated from Ukraine, during the outbreak of the Crimean crisis between Moscow and Kiev at the time".
He adds: "As for the Kherson province, it is one of the first areas that the Russian forces took control of at the beginning of their military operation in Ukraine and its center is the city of Kherson.".
The expansion of the Russian Federation
He continued: "After these referendums and the accession of those areas to Russian sovereignty, the number of administrative entities in Russia will increase from 85 to 89 entities, and thus the Russian military doctrine will automatically apply to these areas, so that any of them being attacked will be considered a threat to the existence of the Russian state as a whole."According to the expert on Russian affairs.
and say: "Thus, Russian threats of nuclear weapons prior to organizing these referendums should not be read as a direct threat to use them, but rather as warning messages to the West to reduce its preoccupation with Ukraine’s military support, and to acquiesce in the new geopolitical reality that will result from the four referendums."Al-Qalyubi concludes.
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Today, until September 27, referendums will be held in the regions Luhansk AndDonetsk AndKherson AndZaporizhia.
Information about the polling areas
- The area of Ukrainian territory controlled by Russia is 100,000 square kilometres, which is approximately 20 percent of the country’s total area.
- The population of those areas under Russian control ranges from 5 to 7 million, which is approximately 15 percent of the total population of Ukraine.
- Lugansk: It has an area of more than 26.5 square kilometers, and a population of about two and a quarter million people.
- Donetsk: It covers an area of 26.5 km², and its population exceeds 4 million.
- Kherson: an area of 28 thousand square kilometers and a population of about one million people.
- Zaporozhye: an area of 20 thousand square kilometers and a population of more than one and a half million.
popular choice
The head of the Russian-Arab Dialogue Center, Muslim Shaito, said in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”: “It was these four regions that demanded the organization of referendums in them to get rid of the prolonged Ukrainian oppression, and for this reason, joining Russia is a general popular choice in those regions that are divided into two parts. :
- The first: those located in the Donbas region in the east, and including the republics of Lugansk and Donetsk, which have taken the initiative since 2014 to declare their independence from Kyiv, but for 8 years they have been subjected to violent pressure and almost daily bombardment by Ukrainian forces, which led to the death of more than 14 thousand people from Kiev. Therefore, the referendum to join Russia is the only way for Luhansk and Donetsk to escape from the continuing Ukrainian threats.
- The second: the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions are located in the south, and their residents have always suffered from persecution and discrimination against the background of being in the majority of Russians, and therefore the referendum in them enjoys wide popular support, as the number of eligible voters is estimated at more than half a million, while the total of their population It was more than 5 million people, but because of Kyiv’s discriminatory policies and because of the war, many of them emigrated over the past years.”
Historical background
Shaito adds: “These four regions are historically Russian, for example Kherson was one of the most important ports Russian Empire in Black Seaas well as the port Mariupol cityand even the capital of Ukraine was called in Tsarist era With the Russian Kiev, as the inhabitants of these regions speak Russian as a mother tongue, and have deep historical, religious and cultural ties to Russia, whether in its tsarist eras or in the times of the former Soviet Union.
And the expert in Russian affairs elaborates, saying: “The Soviet state distributed its administrative regions and territories, according to ideological considerations and calculations for the establishment of many republics, and with its collapse, it abandoned Boris Yeltsin who replaced Gorbachev As the first president of the new Russian Federation, about Russia’s historical and geographical rights in those republics such as Ukraine, for example.
Areas rich in natural resources
“These areas enjoy great natural wealth and resources and are a major source of coal, grains and crops, especially sunflowers,” according to Shaito.
He adds: “In addition to the many factories that distinguish it, which date back to the time of the Soviets, which is the most prominent factor that pushed the Soviet leader, Vladimir Lenin, to annex it at the time to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic in an effort to create a strong working class in it in line with the Marxist-Leninist ideology.”
A new geopolitical reality
For his part, Rami Al-Qalyubi, an expert on Russian affairs and a professor at the Moscow Higher School of Economics, said in an interview with Sky News Arabia: “Two of the four regions that will join Russia, namely Donetsk and Lugansk, even before the expected referendums take place tomorrow, are outside the control of Russia.” Kyiv and its authority, since 2014, they have been separated from Ukraine, during the outbreak of the Crimean crisis between Moscow and Kiev at the time.
He added, “As for the Kherson province, it is one of the first areas that the Russian forces took control of at the beginning of their military operation in Ukraine and its center is the city of Kherson. The Russians extended their full control over it in mid-March, while Russia controls nearly 75% of the area of Zaporozhye.”
The expansion of the Russian Federation
He continues: “After these referendums and the accession of those regions to Russian sovereignty, the number of administrative entities in Russia will increase from 85 to 89 entities, and thus the Russian military doctrine will automatically apply to these regions, so that any of them being attacked will be considered a threat to the existence of the Russian state as a whole.” Expert on Russian affairs.
He says: “Thus, the Russian threats of nuclear weapons prior to organizing these referendums, should not be read as a direct threat to use them, but rather as warning messages to the West to reduce its preoccupation with Ukraine’s military support, and to succumb to the new geopolitical reality that will result from the four referendums,” as Al-Qalyubi concludes.