EU not to recognize Russian ‘referendums’ within temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine

The relevant statement was made by the EU mission at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The EU mission condemned Russia’s attempts to create illegitimate alternative administrative structures in Kherson, Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities. Any Russia’s attempts to hold  the so-called ‘referendums’ at gunpoint within the territories controlled by Russian troops will be illegal and will not be recognized, the EU mission stressed.

In addition, the EU mission condemned the forcible deportation of Ukrainians to the Russian Federation and the so-called ‘filtration camps’.

The introduction of the Russian ruble as a currency, the use of Russian educational programs, the change of the names of settlements and road signs and the issue of Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens were also condemned by the EU mission.

The EU mission expressed concern that Russia’s puppet ‘administration’ in Kherson Region had reinstated the Russian imperial symbol and mobile network operators within the Russian-controlled districts of Donetsk Region and Luhansk Region used Russia’s country code.

The EU mission called on Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and territorial waters and immediately release all Ukrainian government officials, who were democratically elected and are now held captive by Russian forces.