SBU exposes Russia's plans for pseudo-referendum on annexation of Ukraine’s occupied regions
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has documented that the Russian Federation has begun an active phase of preparation for a pseudo-referendum on the annexation of the occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, SBU spokesperson Artem Dekhtiarenko said.
"As evidenced by the array of information collected by the staff of the Ukrainian special service, the enemy plans to use the pro-Russian organization Donetsk Republic to carry out the so-called expression of will," the spokesperson of the SBU said in a video message posted on the Telegram channel of the SBU on Tuesday.
According to Dekhtiarenko, previously the "Donetsk Republic" operated only on the territory of the terrorist organization "DPR", but now its geography is being expanded.
"Accordingly, the enemy is planning a name change. The most likely option that the occupiers will choose is "greater Russia," he added.
According to the SBU, more than 1,000 people are already active in this formation, who hold daily meetings with the population of the temporarily occupied territories.
"Among them are agitators, bloggers and ‘vigilantes’ cooperating with the occupiers. In fact, they recruit people by encouraging them to join the organization. They ‘have already covered more than 200,000 of the local population," the SBU spokesperson noted.
Dekhtiarenko also said that the Kremlin curators plan to use controlled media resources to reach more than 50 million viewers from Russia and eastern Ukraine with their propaganda.
"In addition, the invaders plan to transfer more than 1,000 Russian experts and volunteers to the region to undermine the internal situation in their favor. According to the SBU, they should organize illegal mass meetings, spread agitation in support of a pseudo-referendum and equip election commissions. In the future, it is planned to prepare an appeal allegedly from local residents to the leadership of the occupation administration about the annexation of Donetsk region to the Russian Federation," the spokesperson of the SBU summed up.
