Recent reports highlight the controversial nature of the Russian presidential elections being conducted in occupied Ukrainian territories, with UK intelligence and military officials from Britain indicating that residents are being forced to vote for Vladimir Putin "at gunpoint". The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has declared these elections as illegal and void, emphasizing that forcing citizens in occupied territories or those transferred to Russia to participate violates democratic principles and lacks ballot secrecy. Observations from Donetsk reveal that the elections are being conducted under duress, with armed Russian soldiers overseeing the polling stations. The U.S. State Department has voiced its stance, stating that it will never recognize the legitimacy or outcome of these elections, citing them as a further infringement on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Additionally, the Russian Defense Ministry is reported to have allowed military personnel, including those deceased, missing, or captured, to cast "posthumous votes" remotely, raising further concerns about the integrity of the election process.
The Russian presidential election has started. This is how Ukrainians in the occupied territories are made to vote 98-year-old Yevdokia Romanivna from Severodonetsk is visited by a soldier with an automatic rifle & a woman with the ballots They make sure she votes “correctly” https://t.co/2lTBunYGGR
Russian Defence Ministry allowing soldiers to cast posthumous votes for Putin, says Ukrainian intelligence https://t.co/AuQ2vH4xZM
#Russia’s occupiers stuffing a ballot box in #Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia during the Russian sham presidential election #RussianWarCrimes https://t.co/8PbiaqTMo5
Condemnation of “voting” (by the way literally at gunpoint with no ballot secrecy) in Russian occupied Ukraine. https://t.co/iHQ9AiGM2v
Putin’s “elections” in the occupied Ukraine. The picture says so much. #StandWithUkraine https://t.co/ywmXtwLhHY
🔴 Moscow plans to mark ballot papers with the names of dead soldiers in order to boost Vladimir Putin’s support in the Russian elections, Ukrainian defence intelligence (DIU) has said. Follow the latest updates here 👇 https://t.co/SeBTL6bHTP https://t.co/9GF7nH6FG1
According to a report from #Ukraine’s intelligence, Russian #soldiers can vote in the current #election without showing their faces at polling stations, where a “photocopy of the documents” is enough. https://t.co/Ils0uNHscS
Holding elections in the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine 🇺🇦 is a flagrant violation of international law. Australia strongly condemns all actions by Russia to legitimise its attempted annexation of sovereign 🇺🇦 territory & deprive Ukrainians of their basic rights. https://t.co/CZwmH5Oejv
Russians force migrants from Central Asia to vote on occupied territories of Ukraine https://t.co/y5erePclep
The Russian Defense Ministry allows military personnel engaged in the war against #Ukraine to cast their votes in the presidential election remotely, even including those who have recently been killed, disappeared, or taken prisoner, according to Ukrainian Defense Intelligence.
Russia holding elections in Ukraine is a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. #StandWithUkraine https://t.co/tMDooKt1oh
"The US does not and will never recognize the legitimacy or results of the so called elections in sovereign Ukraine and which are part of the presidential elections in Russia," US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a briefing. https://t.co/3jyrOSk187 https://t.co/O647vBFtlC
Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Crimea are Ukraine. The U.S. does not and never will recognize sham elections held in occupied Ukrainian territories. https://t.co/mdSHc80RzE
#PseudoElections in the occupied territories of Ukraine are held at gunpoint, and even people who have not handed over their 🇺🇦 passports are forced to vote. Another #FakeDemocracy by the Russian authorities, army and media. The entire 🇷🇺 system is a rotten, obedient autocracy
Russia is continuing to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence through sham elections held in occupied Ukrainian territories. The U.S. does not and will never recognize the legitimacy or outcome of these sham elections. https://t.co/nFOuqT2RBF
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Russia's elections in occupied territories are "illegal" and called on international allies not to recognize the results of any such contests. https://t.co/AnORxQDtQS https://t.co/QVEtyu6j5I
Ukrainians living under Russian occupation are coerced to vote for Putin https://t.co/LRPbObTgb2
#Russia’s staging of elections in occupied territories of Ukraine is illegal and void, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says, urging international partners not to recognize the results. #Ukraine https://t.co/50DVnsnwnt
WE COUNT THE VOTES: "Voting" is underway in the RU occupied regions of Ukraine-- literally at bayonet point. Russian soldiers oversee the poll and collect the ballots. Vladimir Putin is expected to win reelection by (another) landslide. https://t.co/8B8pOBDUtq
“Voting” underway in the Russian presidential “election” in occupied Ukraine. Fully armed Putin soldiers help collect ballots. Normal stuff. https://t.co/9iCtfCi8zi
spotted in donetsk, russian occupied ukraine: “voting” (this election's gonna be a nail biter) https://t.co/mz62LBW2Zs
Forcing millions of 🇺🇦 citizens living in temporarily occupied territories or those forcibly transferred to Russia to participate in "elections" is illegal. Those are another 🇷🇺 elections held at gunpoint that have nothing to do with democratic principles and election standards. https://t.co/m8bmBsL9t9
⚠️ UKRAINE CALLS RUSSIA'S ELECTION IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES NULL AND VOID Full Story → https://t.co/rjTC5rXdK9 Russia's staging of elections in occupied territories of Ukraine is illegal and void, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, urging international partners… https://t.co/bP1Jny3DEz
🇺🇦 Ukraine calls Russia's election on occupied territories null and void. https://t.co/9IAT9vWrDZ
Ukrainians under Russian occupation told to vote in Moscow’s election, Britain military officials say https://t.co/JNtdaDozjw https://t.co/6pmphPXE1o
🗳️ UK intelligence explains how residents of temporarily occupied territories are forced to vote for Putin https://t.co/wQ25QmnmYE