KIEV’S BLOODY ATTEMPTS TO DISRUPT REFERENDA

On September 23, a referendum began in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, in territories that are under Russian control. In the DPR and LPR, whose independence Russia recognized in February, the people vote for or against the Republics to join the Russian Federation. In the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the people answer the question of the regions’ secession from Ukraine, the creation of independent states within their administrative borders, that is, including territories controlled by Ukrainian forces, and their subsequent entry into Russia. The voting will take five days. In order to ensure the safety of citizens, the first four days they would vote at home. On the last day, residents could vote at the polling stations. Citizens who have left the regions can vote at special polling stations created outside the regions. In turn, Kiev’s position and military tasks did not change. Ukrainian forces will continue to try to recapture the lost territories. At the same time, following the best ‘democratic traditions’ the Ukrainian authorities threaten the citizens in the lost territories for the expression of their free will. Participation in a referendum may be punishable by imprisonment and confiscation of property. Kiev attempts to disrupt these referenda not only by political means. In recent days, strikes on residential areas of the cities of the DPR and LPR have been particularly brutal. On September 22, the Ukrainian Nazis hit a market and a bus stop in the central district in Donetsk. As a result of the attack, at least 6 civilians were killed, including a 14 year-old boy. 7 other civilians were wounded. The attack was carried out from the Ukrainian positions near Novoselovka Pervaya by the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade. Ukrainian militants used 155-caliber CESAR artillery systems supplied by France. Over the past day, about 300 rounds of ammunition hit the territory of the DPR, in total, killing seven civilians. Another bloody attack took place on September 19. A precision strike hit a bus stop and a grocery store in the Kuibyshev district of Donetsk. As a result, 13 civilians were killed, including two children. Ukrainian forces fired 155-mm shells from their positions in the village of Netailovo located 15 kilometers from Donetsk. The attack was carried out with NATO military equipment. In the LPR, over the past day, Novoaidar, Lisichansk and Gorskoe were hit by US-made HIMARS. 18 missiles hit the territory of the Republic. As a result of the attack, a warehouse of the republican base of special medical supplies was destroyed, and the buildings of the city rescue city fire service were damaged. On September 23, the town of Stakhanov was again shelled by the American-made MLRS M142 HIMARS. Just in the morning alone 6 rockets hit the town. In the Kherson region, Ukrainian militants struck a fire station and crossings over the Dnieper River in Kherson. Terrorist attacks continue in the Zaporozhye region. On September 22, an explosion at the Central Market in Melitopol wounded six civilians.