Elections in Russia: in ISW told why the Kremlin voting in the occupied regions of Ukraine
The report of December 11 states that the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation has decided to hold elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine, except for Crimea. Thus, martial law was introduced on the peninsula after consultation with the Ministry of Finance of Russia and the Ministry of Defense, as well as with the FSB and the occupying authorities.
"The Russian legislation, in particular, requires that the CEC consult with these bodies when considering the issue of elections in areas where martial law, including occupied Ukraine," analysts said. According to experts, Russia will probably use the presidential election in March 2024 to create the visibility of the legitimacy of its occupation of the Ukrainian territories. It is noted that the Kremlin did the same during illegal referendums on annexation in 2022 and regional elections in 2023.
The CEC Chairman Ella Pamphilova stated on December 7 that the voting in the occupied Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions will be "slightly different" by the procedure from the elections in Russia and occupied Crimea.
"The CEC is likely to use these different procedures to falsify Putin and a statement about the high turnout of voters, at the same time, at the same time falsely depicting the participation of occupied Ukraine in the elections as legitimate for the international community," the report said. Recall that on December 9, the White House ridiculed the future elections in Russia.