Ukrainian officials on Saturday accused Russia of planning a fake referendum on creating a pro-Moscow "people's republic" in the southern Black Sea city of Kherson.Russian forces seized the port city, which has a population of 290,000 people, on March 3 following a three-day siege.
It was the first major city to fall following Moscow's invasion."Russians now desperately try to organize a sham 'referendum' for a fake 'people's republic' in Kherson," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted.Due to "zero popular support," such a referendum "will be fully staged," he added."Severe sanctions against Russia must follow if they proceed.
Kherson is - will always be Ukraine," the minister added.Kuleba drew a parallel with Russia's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014, when it held a referendum on joining Russia after deploying troops there.The Kherson plan was following a "2014 playbook," Kuleba said.Ukraine's ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova wrote on Telegram that Russian occupying forces were phoning lawmakers from the local legislature, asking them to vote for the plan.Denisova said such a referendum would be illegal on the occupied territory, since under Ukrainian law any issues over territory can only be resolved by a nationwide referendum.