The Russians want to stage a referendum to create an independent republic in Kherson, a city near Crimea, which they took control on March 3, several Ukrainian officials accused on Saturday.
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“After the 2014 scenario, the Russians are desperately trying to organize a fake ‘referendum’ for a fake ‘people’s republic’ in Kherson,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kouleba wrote on Twitter.
He was referring to the referendum organized in Crimea in 2014 after the annexation of the peninsula by Russia, considered illegal by Kyiv and Westerners.
“Given the fact that there is no popular support, this will be entirely staged,” he predicted, calling for “severe sanctions” to be imposed on Russia if that were the case. “Kherson is and always will be in Ukraine.”
“Currently, the invaders are calling the deputies of the regional council to offer them to cooperate and create an ‘independent republic'”, detailed on Telegram the Ukrainian parliamentary representative for human rights, Liudmyla Denisova.
Kherson is the first major city captured by Russian forces after their February 24 invasion of Ukraine.