Russia has begun active preparations for holding so-called "elections" to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, which are scheduled for September 2026. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation, according to UNN.
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According to the Center, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin instructed to create conditions for voting in the captured territories. He specifically emphasized the need to ensure "security of expression of will" in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
At the same time, in the temporarily occupied territories, the pro-government party "United Russia" announced the creation of organizational committees for holding primaries. This refers to an internal procedure for selecting candidates, which plans to involve local collaborators, among others.
The Center for Countering Disinformation notes that in this way the Kremlin is trying to form a so-called "representative body" and create the appearance of full integration of the occupied territories into Russia.
The CCD emphasizes that any elections organized by the occupying state in the captured territory are illegitimate according to international law. Ukraine and the international community do not recognize their results, and individuals "elected" in such "elections" will not have legal status.
According to the Center's assessment, the main goal of these actions is an attempt to legitimize the occupation through the imitation of the electoral process.