Kremlin plans illegitimate votes to tighten grip on Ukraine
Russians are preparing to conduct more illegal elections in occupied Ukrainian territories. The voting is scheduled for September 2025, with another anticipated in 2026, according to the Ukrainian government.
To ensure the "effectiveness" of this fake voting, a special application is set to be launched to help "voters" cast their vote for the desired candidate or lodge a complaint, reports the Ukrainska Pravda portal, citing the Ukrainian government.
The illegal elections are planned for 14 September 2025 and 20 September 2026. Their aim is to increase the number of "deputies" from these territories in the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
The Kremlin wants to strengthen its power
This is intended as a move to legitimise and strengthen the Kremlin's authority over the occupied territories of Ukraine, particularly in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
"Putin is counting on creating a fictitious representation of these regions in the Russian parliament," it states.
Fighting continues
Russian and North Korean forces suffered heavy casualties in battles on Friday and Saturday in the Kursk region, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"In yesterday's and today's battles near just one village, Makhnivka, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroopers (...). This is significant," Zelensky said in his evening video address.
Zelensky did not provide any further details. A battalion can vary in size but usually consists of several hundred soldiers, reminded the Reuters agency.
The president announced that preparations are underway for the planned 9 January meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the Ramstein Air Base, reported the Ukrainska Pravda portal. It will involve "partner countries (...) that can increase our capabilities not only in defence against missiles but also against guided bombs, against Russian aviation. We will talk to them about it and convince them. Life in Ukraine needs protection here and now," said Zelensky.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
