On 01 February 2023, Russian Federation Council chair Valentyna Matviyenko said that regional elections will take place in the newly occupied areas of Ukraine on 10 September 2023, British Ministry of Defence reports
“Incorporating the elections into same day of voting which is scheduled across Russia highlights the leadership’s ambition to present the areas as integral parts of Russia.
This follows continued efforts to ‘Russify’ the occupied areas, which include revision of the education, communication, and transport systems. While meaningful democratic choices are no longer available to voters at even regional level elections in Russia, leaders will likely make the self-vindicating argument that new elections further justify the occupation,” the reports says.
https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1622489462801420288
