Donetsk pro-Russia denounce attacks to thwart referendum

The leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushlin, on Saturday (24) denounced that Ukrainian forces are attacking several cities of the entity with artillery fire in an attempt to prevent the vote in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Referendum on joining Russia.

“Unfortunately, the opponent is trying with the means at his disposal to thwart the referendum and intimidate the people,” the pro-Russian leader told a Russian television station. Russia 24. Pushlin added that there were already two waves of attacks in the center of Donetsk, killing one person and wounding three.

Earlier, DPR employees reported that two people were killed in Donetsk as a result of Ukrainian bombing. Pushlin said a person believed to be dead was in fact seriously injured and taken to hospital.

Voting on the referendum on joining Russia, which, in addition to the Luhansk People’s Republic, is taking place in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Territory and in the regions of the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine began last Friday (23) and continues until the next day. Tuesday (27).

Ukraine, which is supported by a large part of the international community, denies any legitimacy to these consultations, which it called a “farce”.

The Kyiv government has made it clear that it will not accept the results of the referendum and that it will not change the strategy in the future battlefieldRussia suffered heavy defeats in the seven-month military campaign in northern and northeastern Ukraine.

“Ukraine has every right to liberate its territory and will continue to do so regardless of what Russia says,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

The United States, the European Union and the United Nations have expressed their rejection of the consultations and announced that they will not recognize their results.