Kremlin reportedly will push ahead with annexation ‘referendums’ in Luhansk and Donetsk, despite stalled invasion

Russia is reportedly planning to hold annexation “referendums” in eastern Ukraine, after all. Previously, it was thought that the stalled invasion would also force the Kremlin to postpone staging plebiscites in occupied Ukraine to formalize Moscow’s control over lands there, but sources tied to the Kremlin told the independent news outlet Verstka Media that Russia now plans to hold votes in the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics” on September 14, despite not being in full military control of the territories those entities claim.

The Kremlin is apparently not yet prepared to stage votes in other occupied regions of Ukraine, like Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv (where Russian control is more tenuous). Meduza has previously reported that the Putin administration hoped to hold votes simultaneously across all occupied regions of Ukraine.

September 14 is a weekday, which could diminish turnout, but officials who spoke to Verstka Media said they’ll be pleased with the results, “so long as they’re not shooting over our heads.” Sources told the news outlet that the Putin administration seeks an “80 over 80” outcome in the referendums: 80-percent support for leaving Ukraine and joining the Russian Federation amid at least 80-percent voter turnout. At least one source admitted to Verstka that the results will be “adjusted” if they fall short of these targets.