Putin’s “elections” in Ukraine’s occupied territories: AK-47s, threats and coercion

In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the so-called “presidential elections” of Russia have ended. Invaders made various attempts to force Ukrainians to “vote” for Putin – they came to residences with assault rifles, engaged in blackmail and attempted bribery.

“For three days, the Russians stopped Ukrainians at checkpoints and demanded them to “vote”, all under the watchful eye of armed guards who even directed where to place the checkmark. Occupiers also conducted raids on homes, trying to obtain information about locals who ignored the “elections”. There were cases when Russians attempted to enter a house two or three times if they weren’t let in,” writes the National Resistance Center (NRC).

The Russians implied to Ukrainians under occupation that refusal to support Putin indicated an anti-Russian stance, reported Ukrainian intelligence. Those who resisted the invaders would soon find themselves in torture chambers established by the Kremlin’s army in captured Ukrainian schools, police departments, and prisons.

“At the same time, the occupiers emphasize that they can “draw” to their dictator over two hundred percent of support, and the result of “Putin’s elections” will be unchanged,” highlighted in intelligence reports.

Collaborators from “election commissions” documented who exactly voted and compiled a separate list of “disloyal residents” who avoided “voting,” added the NRC.

“The bypass organization scheme was as follows: about 20 collaborators were transported by buses, given plastic boxes. Buses were escorted by two police cars. Upon disembarking from the bus, bypass groups were formed: two civilians and one military, and the raid began,” said the center.

The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) strongly condemns the so-called “Presidential elections” that the Russian occupational authorities are illegally staging in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

The Russian invaders will use this fake “election process” to increase persecution and implement another stage of the genocide of the Ukrainian people in the occupied territories.