Russians are forcing Ukrainians to vote for Putin. "Elections" in the presence of soldiers with rifles

Presidential "elections" have begun in Russia. Russians are forcing residents of occupied Ukrainian territories to vote for Vladimir Putin. In Luhansk, 2,600 officials have been dispatched to visit homes and persuade residents to vote.

On March 15, presidential "elections" began in Russia, the outcome of which surprises few. They will last until March 17. Voting in the occupied territories of Ukraine started earlier this week. According to pro-Russian media, the turnout in the occupied territories reached 30-50%, exceeding the indicators from previous elections.

Residents of occupied territories are being forced to vote for Putin

The chairmen of the foreign affairs committees of 20 countries issued a joint statement rejecting the legality of Russian presidential elections conducted in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. This was announced by the chairman of the Lithuanian parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, Žygimantas Pavilionis, on the X platform.

Parliamentarians emphasized that Russia organized “elections” coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea, "which is a clear provocation".

Russians are forcing residents of occupied Ukrainian territories to vote for dictator

Vladimir Putin in the so-called Russian presidential elections, as reported by the British Ministry of Defense, citing intelligence. They inform that voting in the Russian presidential elections started early in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

"Efforts by Russian officials to force the population to vote are intensifying. In Luhansk, 2,600 officials have been dispatched to visit homes and persuade residents to vote", the statement reads.

https://twitter.com/ZygisPavilionis/status/1768216504548348097

In particular, heads of educational institutions and other government agencies have been asked to ensure that their subordinates come to the elections. The British Ministry of Defense believes that the credibility of illegal elections is further undermined by the lack of proper representation, low security levels, and measures to coerce the population to vote.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on residents of occupied territories to refrain from participating in pseudo-elections

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasizes that holding “elections” for the president of Russia in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is illegal and will have no legal consequences.

"Forcing millions of Ukrainian citizens living in temporarily occupied territories or forcibly transferred to the territory of the Russian Federation to participate in the so-called 'elections' is illegal."

This, combined with the lack of any signs of compliance of the election campaign in the Russian Federation with generally recognized democratic principles and standards of elections, the elimination of opponents of the Russian authorities, casts doubt on the objectivity and legality of any results of these pseudo-elections.

https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1767857386679631874

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on Ukrainian citizens living in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or forced to stay on the territory of the Russian Federation not to participate in the pseudo-elections for the president of Russia.

"For their own safety and considering the propensity of Russian authorities for provocations, we urge to avoid crowded places near 'polling stations' and Russian military occupation infrastructure during the election days", the statement says.