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Military operation in Ukraine

Ukraine official urges more weapons, sanctions against Russia in response to referendums

Advisor to the Ukrainian Presidential Office Mikhail Podolyak stressed that the Ukrainian authorities would regard the participation in the referendums as an encroachment on the territorial integrity of the country

KIEV, September 21. /TASS/. Advisor to the Ukrainian Presidential Office Mikhail Podolyak has called for more weapons supplies to Kiev and new sanctions against Moscow in response to the decision by the authorities in Donbass and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions to hold referendums on unifying with Russia.

"The world community must immediately and harshly respond to the attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory by increasing aid with arms aid and imposing new economic sectoral sanctions against Russia," Podolyak blogged on Twitter on Tuesday.

The advisor stressed that the Ukrainian authorities would regard the participation in the referendums as an encroachment on the territorial integrity of the country.

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that the referendums would not change Kiev's position, which intends to continue warfare.

The leadership of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics as well as the liberated Kherson and Zaporozhye regions announced a decision on Tuesday to hold referendums on joining Russia. All the four regions will hold the vote on September 23-27.

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