The organization of voting by Russia regarding amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation in the occupied territory of the Ukrainian Crimea, as well as the organization of participation in voting of persons who illegally received passports of the Russian Federation, will have political and legal consequences, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vasyl Bodnar has said.

"The organization of voting in the occupied territory of the Ukrainian Crimea, as well as the organization of participation in voting of persons who are holders of illegally issued passports of the Russian Federation, will have political and legal consequences for the Russian Federation. The international community has a fairly wide range of tools to respond appropriately: from political statements condemning the actions of the Russian Federation until the non-recognition of the result of the voting regarding the occupied territories and the expansion of sanctions and political pressure. The extension of Putin's tenure in power is a continuation of Russia's aggressive policy, and our society and the world should understand this. It remains unknown if every ordinary citizen of Russia understands this," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Bodnar said that Ukraine has turned to international partners to condemn the organization of so-called "voting" in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including by toughening sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation.

"Firstly, we expect political solidarity that the vote, especially in the occupied territories, is considered illegitimate. Secondly, personal sanctions will be applied to the persons organizing this vote, and inadmissibility on the territory of the states that impose such sanctions will be applied. I'm sure that the world community will justly see how the Russian authorities are trying to force the population in the occupied territories to take political steps to please the Kremlin leadership," he said.

The deputy foreign minister also expressed hope that citizens of Ukraine who are forced to reside in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine will refuse to participate in this from the point of view of international law by illegitimate voting.

"Instead of following the principle of the legitimacy of voting and not holding them in the occupied territories of Ukraine, which casts doubt on the entire voting process, the Russians are persistently trying to hold it in Crimea and encourage Ukrainian citizens to whom they forcibly issued their passports to go to polling stations There's a double meaning: the first is to demonstrate the alleged "own right" to the occupied territories, which is a direct violation of the sovereignty of Ukraine, the second is to artificially increase the number of people who vote to extend Putin's tenure in power," Bodnar said.

In his opinion, therefore, in this case, the only answer is the continuation of sanctions by the international community, Ukraine, individual countries in order to demonstrate to the aggressor country that its actions do not go unpunished.