Russia is preparing "international observers" for "elections" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine - CPD
Kyiv • UNN
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that his department will ensure "fair international observation" in the State Duma elections in September 2026 in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. The goal is to create an illusion of legitimacy for the electoral processes in the Ukrainian territories seized by Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that his department would ensure "honest international observation" of the State Duma elections in September 2026 in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (CCD), informs UNN.
Details
They note that in reality, any elections in the occupied territories are illegitimate: Ukraine and the international community do not recognize their results.
Statements about "international observers" are also a fiction. Real international organizations that monitor elections have long ceased cooperation with Russia. And those "observers" that the Kremlin demonstrates in the temporarily occupied territories are completely loyal to the Russian Federation and perform exclusively a propaganda function
The CCD notes that during the pseudo-referendums in the occupied territories, such "observers" also did not record violations, although the voting took place virtually at gunpoint.
"The goal of this show is to create an illusion of legitimacy of electoral processes in the Ukrainian territories seized by Russia," the CCD summarizes.
Recall
Putin's administration and "United Russia" identified five leaders for the State Duma elections in September 2026. The list included Medvedev, Lavrov, Golovin, Lysenko, and Poddubny.