Kremlin to hold referendums in captured Ukrainian territories to join Russia

The Kremlin wants to organise elections for the lands it has annexed from Ukraine to become part of Russia in September.According to a report from Bloomberg on Thursday, the action would probably infuriate Kyiv's Western partners even more because they already punish Moscow severely for its invasion of Ukraine on February 24 and do not recognise Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

According to Bloomberg, the Kremlin hopes to hold these referendums by September 15, according to two unnamed officials familiar with the plan.

According to three people named, authorities are getting ready to hold elections in areas that the Russian military has already taken control of during its roughly five-month campaign as well as in potential future takeover locations.

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The separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the southern provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which were conquered in this year's operation, are among the regions that will be integrated into Russia.

The referendum project is purportedly under the direction of Sergei Kiriyenko, first deputy chief of staff of the Kremlin, who allegedly oversees referendum preparations in the occupied territories on a regular basis.

When he announced a ground offensive against its pro-Western neighbour in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted his country did not want to take Ukrainian territory.

His spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, reiterated his assertion that the seized Ukrainian lands' "future fate" was in their hands.

Kherson and Zaporizhzhia under Russian occupation have announced plans to organise referendums on annexation. The change in strategy was attributed to Western weapons deliveries to Kiev, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who made the announcement on Wednesday. Russia will now pursue "geographical ambitions" in Ukraine beyond Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

(With inputs from agencies)