September 20, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

Multiple Kremlin-backed authorities in eastern and southern Ukraine suddenly announced referendums on joining Russia will be held this week.

If you're just joining us here's what you need to know about Tuesday's developments in Russia's war in Ukraine.

While previous plans for such a vote have been delayed, there was a flurry of announcements from different Russian-backed officials in occupied regions in Ukraine — all set on voting from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27.

Kherson: Russian-backed head of the Kherson administration, Vladimir Saldo, said he "signed a decree" for the referendum, which also established the procedure for organizing voting and "measures of administrative and criminal liability for violation of these rules." Parts of Kherson are on the front lines between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

Luhansk People's Republic: The leader of the self-declared Luhansk People's Republic, Leonid Pasechnik, also signed a law on a referendum. According to the text, "the Central Election Commission of the LPR will determine the results of the referendum on the Republic's entry into the LPR no later than five days after the last voting day," according to local media portal Lug-Info.

Dontesk People's Republic: The self-declared DPR agreed to hold a referendum and the head said he wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, asking him for the rapid accession of the republic to the Russian Federation once a referendum is held.

Zaporizhzhia: The so-called National Congress of Citizens of the Zaporizhzhia Region has approved a referendum, said Vladimir Rogov, a senior pro-Russian official in occupied Zaporizhzhia. “Technically, we are ready. Security of polling stations is ensured. Our borders are reliably protected by the Russian military," said Yevgeniy Balitskiy, the Russian-appointed head of the Zaporizhzhia regional administration

Ukrainian response: Ukrainian officials condemned these announcements. The foreign ministry said the “fake plebiscites” will not change the “administrative-territorial structure and internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.” The ministry called the vote “forced citizenship” of residents and said it is “another attempt of Russia to legitimize the consequences of its aggressive war against Ukraine.”

Russian response: The announcements have received swift support from Russian politicians. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has publicly endorsed referendums in the self-declared Donbas republics, saying it will have "huge significance" for "systemic protection" of the residents. "Not one future leader of Russia, not one official will be able to reverse these decisions," he added.

US response: The Pentagon said that announcements are "simply an information operation that’s meant to distract from the difficult state that the Russian military currently finds itself in.” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield also condemned the moves on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian flag has been raised on the border between the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, according to a Telegram post from Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk region military administration on Tuesday.

Fierce battles were being fought in the area until recently, but now only abandoned equipment and minefields remain, Kyrylenko said.

“Together with the First Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yevhen Yenin and the Head of the State Emergency Service Serhiі Kruk, we went to the site to assess the scale of work to be done on demining,” Kyrylenko said.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Tuesday, and they both condemned the announcement of referendums announced by Russian-backed officials within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, according to Nate Evans, a spokesperson for the United States Mission to the United Nations [USUN].

Thomas-Greenfield “reiterated that the United States will not recognize any attempt by Russia to claim annexation of Ukraine’s sovereign territory,” Evans said in a readout.

The referendums "are an affront to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that are at heart of the UN Charter,” the readout added.

The two “assessed the progress made under the Black Sea Grain Initiative in getting Ukrainian agricultural products to market” and reiterated the importance for all member states to defend the UN Charter and to "work together to address the crises Russia’s war against Ukraine has exacerbated, including global food insecurity.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday called for an end to the "Russian-Ukrainian crisis" saying the seven-month war had sent a "wave of shock" around the globe.

In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Erdoğan said, "war will never have a triumph, and a fair peace process will not have a loser." 

Erdoğan called on the world to "support the peaceful initiatives of Turkey to settle this dispute once and for all. We need a dignified way out of this crisis. And that can only be possible through a diplomatic solution which is rational, which is fair, and which is applicable." 

Some background: The president has played the role of a key party in a UN-brokered deal between Moscow and Kyiv to allow a resumption of grain shipments from the Black sea ports in Ukraine.

Erdoğan called this agreement "one of the greatest accomplishments of the United Nations in the recent decades."

He said Turkey is investing in efforts to bring the war to an end and urged international organizations and other countries to its efforts.

"We are investing tremendous efforts in order to ensure that the war will be finalized by protecting the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of Ukraine once and for all,” Erdoğan said, adding, “we would like to launch an appeal to all the international organizations and countries of the world to to support peaceful initiatives of Turkey to settle this dispute."

The Pentagon said that declarations from leaders of the self-declared Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics to hold referendums on joining the Russian Federation are serving as a distraction after Ukraine's successful counteroffensive.

"This is simply an information operation that’s meant to distract from the difficult state that the Russian military currently finds itself in,” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing at the Pentagon Tuesday.

Ryder called the call for referendums part of the Russian “playbook.”

Ryder said the referendums will have no credibility and won’t impact US support to Ukraine. 

“No one will view such sham referenda with any credibility and the US certainly will not recognize the outcome of any sham elections,” Ryder said. “We will continue to work with Ukraine and our international partners to provide them with the support they need.”

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, made amendments to the law on military service on Tuesday, toughening the punishment for violation of military service duties — such as desertion and evasion from service — according to state news agency TASS.

The bill sets a jail term of up to 15 years for resistance related to military service or coercion to violate an official military order, involving violence or the threat of its use, during the period of mobilization or martial law.

Separately, State Duma deputies and senators have prepared amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, proposing to introduce liability of up to five years of jail time for the destruction or negligent damage of weapons and military equipment during wartime, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

The deputies have also introduced concepts of "mobilization," "martial law," "wartime," and "armed conflict" into the Criminal Code of Russia, which will now be regarded as aggravating factors in criminal sentencing.

Remember: Politicians and political commentators in Russia have started debating mobilization, even as the Kremlin denied any discussions about a nationwide mobilization of troops. It could mean extending conscription for soldiers currently in the armed forces, calling on reservists or bringing in men of fighting age who have had military training.

The measures in the State Duma came before the referendum announcements in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine on Tuesday. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is focusing on the global spillover effects on the energy and food crises of the Ukraine war during his meetings with counterparts on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to UN diplomats familiar with the matter. 

Kuleba is doing this with a specific goal in mind: To try and maintain solidarity among the nations who support Ukraine by recognizing the impacts that the war is having on their country, the diplomats said.

While the devastation in Ukraine is immense, Ukrainian government officials believe that highlighting how the war's impact outside the borders of Ukraine is most likely to drive continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. 

The food crisis is a central spillover effect that is being felt globally, and the Ukrainians are pushing for the current grain deal to be maintained and extended, diplomats said. 

Meanwhile, US and European officials feel confident that this week will fuel continued support for Ukraine, US and European officials said.

There are a few factors contributing to that expectation. First, Ukraine's gains on the battlefield have put the wind at their back because it wouldn't be a good look for countries to back away from supporting Ukraine while they are having success. Second, the comments by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian President Narendra Modi last week give further momentum to holding the line in terms of support for Ukraine, officials explained. 

Some background: Last week, Modi told Putin that “today’s era is not of war” – a significant rebuke from a leader who has stayed largely silent on the conflict throughout its more than six months duration.

On Thursday, during a meeting with the Chinese leader, Putin acknowledged Xi’s “questions and concerns” about the war.

UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, confirmed on Tuesday that Russia would not be included in the draw for Euro 2024 men’s qualifying after a meeting of their executive committee.

 A UEFA press release said, “all Russian teams are currently suspended following the decision of the UEFA Executive Committee of 28 February 2022 which has further been confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 15 July 2022.

The executive committee met in Hvar, Croatia, to approve the procedure for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifying draw.

The draw takes place on Oct. 9 in Frankfurt and will include 53 national associations.

Euro 2024 is set to take place in Germany from June 14 to July 14, 2024.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office has responded to the sudden announcements of referendums on joining Russia in occupied parts of Ukraine.

"Naive blackmail with threats and horror stories of 'referendums', 'mobilizations' from those who know how to fight only with children and peaceful people ... This is what the fear of defeat looks like. The enemy is afraid, primitively manipulates," said Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, on his Telegram channel.

An adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Mykhailo Podolyak, said Russians decided to “respond asymmetrically” to the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

“Thinking that illegal 'referendum' will stop HIMARS and the Armed Forces from destroying occupiers on our land. Do you really want to spend the time needed to escape for a new show? Try...It will be interesting...,” he tweeted on Tuesday.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also dismissed the announcements in a tweet, calling the referendums a "sham."

In addition, Ukraine's foreign ministry also said, “such fake plebiscites” will have “no legal consequences.”

The vote will not change the “administrative-territorial structure and internationally recognized borders of Ukraine,” it said in a statement, adding that “neither Ukraine nor the international community will recognize their worthless results.”

The ministry called the vote “forced citizenship” of residents and said it is “another attempt of Russia to legitimize the consequences of its aggressive war against Ukraine.”

Remember: Multiple Kremlin-backed authorities in eastern and southern Ukraine announced referendums on joining Russia will be held this week. Senior Russian officials have welcomed the moves.