Moscow proxies in southern Ukraine aim for September vote on joining Russia

[July 14, 2022]  (Reuters) - Russian-installed officials in a region of Ukraine partly under Moscow's control are aiming to stage a referendum on joining Russia in September, the RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing a local official.

Rescuers stand in front of a shopping mall damaged by a Russian missile strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine May 25, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer

A member of the civil-military administration in occupied Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine said on Thursday an accession vote would be staged in early autumn. "The estimated date is in the first half of September," RIA Novosti quoted Vladimir Rogov as saying.

"We will finally announce when it will be once we understand the level of readiness and involvement of the people," Rogov said.

Russian-backed forces have seized the majority of the Zaporizhzhia region along Ukraine's southern coast, but Ukraine's military still controls the northern chunk of the region, including the city of Zaporizhzhia, the largest urban centre and home to more than half of the region's pre-war population.

Rogov previously said the region would press ahead with a referendum even if Russia could not gain control over the entire region

Zaporizhzhia is not in the Donbas area of eastern Ukraine where Russia says it is fighting to support the self-proclaimed "people's republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk - breakaway entities that are recognised by only Russia, Syria and North Korea.

Russia's proxies in occupied Kherson region are also planning a referendum on joining Russia later this year.

The Kremlin said the votes are a matter for the regional officials and has not commented on the prospect of the entities joining Russia.

Russia's ambassador to Britain said last week Russian forces were unlikely to withdraw from the swathe of land across Ukraine's southern coast that its forces have seized since the Feb. 24 invasion. (This story corrects to "a member" (not the head) of the civil-military administration) in paragraph two)

(Reporting by Reuters)

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