Monday, September 26, 2022

26: Russia



US will take ‘catastrophic’ action if Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons Severe consequences loom if Russia follows through on attack threat, says White House, as Kremlin’s sham referendums in Ukraine continue ........ Military analysts believe Putin could use Russia’s military doctrine, which allows it to use nuclear weapons to defend its territory, to reframe the conflict in Ukraine as defensive. ...... Russian forces have only been able to coerce one in five residents of occupied Melitopol to vote in a sham annexation referendum despite the threat of violence, its exiled mayor has said. ...... Since voting began on Friday, Russian officials have been going door-to-door in occupied regions flanked by gunmen to give out ballot papers and identify voters. ...... Ukrainians living under occupation have been warned their families would be massacred if they refuse to take part. ....... Despite the threats, Ivan Fedorov, Ukraine’s elected mayor of Melitopol, said: “Our citizens haven’t taken part in this fake referendum … after three days Russia has only been able to find just 20 per cent of people to vote. Nobody wants to vote, nobody wants to say yes to the Russian referendum.” .........

Of those forced to cast a vote, he said “90 per cent” had voted against Russia’s occupation becoming permanent.



No comments: