Russia-Ukraine attack by drone during referendum
93% of Zaporiza residents supported the annexation of Russia’s territory while Russia had put to a referendum whether to annex the four occupied territories in Ukraine, Russian state news agency TAS reported on the 25th (local time).
According to the report, the Crimean Institute for Political and Social Affairs said that an exit poll of 500 people who had finished voting on the 23rd, the first day of voting, showed that 93% supported the annexation of Russian territory.
The referendum on territorial incorporation, which Russia is conducting in four occupied territories in Ukraine, will be held for five days from the 23rd to the 27th.
The regions covered are Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk (Russian name Lugansk) Oblast in eastern Ukraine, where the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) were established, and the southern Zaporiza Oblast and Kherson Oblast.
There are testimonies from various places that this vote is being held in violation of basic procedural principles, such as a secret ballot.
It is also unusual for the exit poll results to be announced during the voting process.
It is known that many of the residents have already fled following the Russian invasion.
The majority of the remaining residents may be Russian or pro-Russian, so an overwhelming vote is expected.
In the case of Crimea, which was occupied by Russia in 2014, a referendum for territorial annexation was passed with a whopping 97% in favor.
As Ukraine and the West strongly oppose the Russian-led referendum as a violation of international law, Russia is expected to announce the approval of the annexation of occupied territories in Ukraine on the 30th.
Amid the referendum, Russia and Ukraine continued to attack each other.
Russian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Igor Konashenkov said on Monday that the Ukrainian military’s self-destructive drone was blocked from attacking the Zaporiza nuclear power plant.
“Ukrainian forces attempted to attack the Zaporiza nuclear power plant area with eight self-destructive drones, but all were shot down outside the nuclear power plant area,” Konashenkov said.
He added that the current level of radiation at the Japoriza nuclear power plant is normal.
Conversely, the Ukrainian side claimed that the Russian army attacked the southern Odessa region overnight with self-destructive drones.
“Odessa was attacked once more by an enemy’s self-destruct drone,” said Natalia Humeniuk, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Army’s Southern Command.
“No casualties have been reported yet,” he added.
/yunhap news