TASS, July 26. A referendum on the Kherson Region joining the Russian Federation will take place in spite of all Kiev’s attempts to intimidate the region’s residents or organize information terror, the deputy head of the military-civilian administration of the region, Kirill Stremousov said on Tuesday.

"I would like to comment on the situation around the ‘counterattack’, <..> which is constantly being announced by the Ukrainian authorities. <…> By sending fighters, the Ukrainian people to their certain death, these people [Kiev authorities] don’t understand that the pointless offensives are taking dozens, or even hundreds of lives of representatives of the Ukrainian people - our brothers. So, we want to say that no matter what you do: criminal responsibility, intimidation, information terror, there will still be a referendum in the Kherson region that will clearly define the region as part of the Russian Federation," Stremousov said in a video message posted on his Telegram channel.

He added that the referendum is to be held soon. "After the referendum takes place, we will become [part of] the Russian Federation, it will be another history, another country," the deputy head of the military-civilian administration said.

Earlier, Stremousov told TASS that the Kherson Region authorities supported the Zaporozhye Region authorities’ idea to hold a referendum on the same day. According to him, preparations are already underway, in particular, the electoral commissions are being prepared.