MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. Ukrainian pollsters only take into account the opinions of "correct Ukrainians" who support the official Kiev line, while ignoring the positions of those living outside of Ukraine, effectively turning opinion polls into a propaganda tool, says Viktor Medvedchuk, former leader of the Opposition Platform - For Life party, which is currently banned in Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian polling industry continues to degrade. […] The opinion of those Ukrainians living outside of the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government is not being taken into account. It should be noted that the opinions of millions of [Ukrainian] refugees now residing in Europe and other countries are not being duly factored in as well," Medvedchuk said in an article published on the Drugaya Ukraina Telegram channel.

According to the politician, there are over 7.5 million Ukrainians who are currently officially residing in Russia, while Europe is hosting over 8 million registered Ukrainian refugees; overall, over 16 million people have left Ukraine.

"Today, Ukrainian opinion pollsters have an entirely different goal: to impose the opinion that Ukrainian citizens must harbor no doubts regarding Ukraine’s leadership and the course it is taking," he underscored.

Medvedchuk added that those Ukrainians who share pro-Russian sentiments are unwilling to participate in opinion polls or to publicly express their views.

"Why are people afraid to speak their minds in a country that the West has declared to be an exemplar of democracy? […] As we can see, according to Ukrainian pollsters, 'incorrect citizens' should keep quiet and listen to [their compatriots who are deemed] 'correct citizens,'" he lamented, commenting on a conclusion by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) that the reduced willingness among "pro-Russian" Ukrainians to take part in opinion polls could be compensated for by the higher level of readiness on the part of other Ukrainians.