Armed Coercion Prompts Occupied Ukraine to Participate in Russian Election
On Sunday, Russia’s election commission announced the victory of the pro-Kremlin “United
Russia” party in local elections in four Ukrainian regions annexed by Moscow, which Kyiv
rejected.
The election commission, along with Russian-appointed officials, said voters in the
southern and eastern regions of Ukraine partially controlled by Russian forces
overwhelmingly supported the “United Russia” party, claiming that the party won every
region. I won with a margin of 70% votes.
Russia has lost more than 3,000 tanks in the Ukraine war, equal to its total pre-war
stockpile, but has enough low-quality armored vehicles to replace them, a leading think
tank said on Tuesday. Safe for years to replace.
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya governor, says to his residents:
“Our citizens are already very scared and if in this situation Russions with soldiers
come to their flat and ask for a vote to put in, everyone must say yes because
everyone wants to have a peaceful environment and be cautious about their life.
Raising hands in the favor of Putin does not mean we are with them.”
According to the news agency “Reuters”, the International Institute for Strategic Studies
said that since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has also suffered heavy
losses, but receiving military aid from the West has improved its stock and quality. Helped
to improve.
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual Military Balance
Report, a key research tool for defense analysts, Russia, after losing a large number of
tanks, still has about two to fight Ukraine. There are many times more tanks, while Russia
has lost around 1120 tanks in the last year alone.
Henry Boyd, an expert on military capabilities at the institute, said that just by changing
weapons, Russia had almost reached a “breakeven point” in tank losses. As per an estimate,
it added around 1,000 to 1,500 additional tanks last year.
While briefing the Security Council, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe,
Miroslav Jenka, reiterated the position of the Secretary-General of the organization that the
annexation of another country’s territory by force is against the principles of the UN
Charter and It is a violation of international law.
He expressed concern over reports of Russia holding so-called elections in areas of Ukraine
it has occupied by military force. He said that these so-called elections in the occupied
territories of Ukraine have no legal basis.
Jenka mentioned Russia’s illegal attempt to annex Ukraine’s regions of Donetsk, Luhansk,
Kirsan, and Zaporizhia by holding so-called referendums.
He said that he wants to make it clear that the United Nations fully recognizes Ukraine’s
sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity within its internationally
recognized land and sea borders.
A high-level UN official expressed concern over the lack of access, including humanitarian
needs and the human rights situation, in Russian-occupied territories.
He said that due to Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine, the people there are facing great
suffering every day, where attacks on civilians and civilian facilities are intensifying.
According to the United Nations Office for Human Rights (OHCHR), since February 2022,
26,717 civilians have been lost in Ukraine, including 9,511 dead and 17,206 injured. Also, at least 549 children have been killed and 1,166 injured so far.
