Those who fled Kiev-controlled DPR territories will have chance to vote — DPR leader

World September 21, 2022, 2:33

Denis Pushilin said that will give an opportunity to residents of the territories that remain under Ukrainian occupation to cast their ballot if they manage to evacuate to the territory of Russia or the Donetsk People’s Republic areas under our control

MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. Residents of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) territories that remain under control of the Kiev government forces will have an opportunity to cast their ballot in the upcoming referendum on joining Russia if they have managed to flee to Russia or to liberated territories of the DPR, DPR leader Denis Pushilin said on Tuesday.

"We planned holding the referendum after returning to the constitutional borders of the DPR. But we had to adjust our plans, and will give an opportunity to residents of the territories that remain under Ukrainian occupation to cast their ballot if they manage to evacuate to the territory of Russia or the Donetsk People’s Republic areas under our control," he told the Rossiya-24 television.

Speaker of the LPR People’s Council (legislature) Denis Miroshnichenko said on Tuesday that the referendum on unifying with Russia will be held in the republic on September 23-27. Later, DPR head Denis Pushilin also announced that such a referendum will be held in the DPR in the same period. The referendums on joining Russia in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions will also be organized on September 23-27.

Tensions escalated along the contact line in Donbass on February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR respectively) reported the heaviest shelling by Ukraine in months. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees on recognizing the DPR and LPR. Russia recognized the two republics within the administrative borders of Donetsk and Lugansk regions as they were at the beginning of 2014 stipulated in their constitutions.

On February 24, Putin launched a special military operation in Ukraine following a request for help from the leaders of two Donbass republics. The DPR and LPR mounted an operation to liberate their areas that were controlled by Kiev.

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