The Ukrainian government has appealed to its citizens living in territories under Russian control to avoid participating in Russia’s pseudo-elections. The Russian presidential elections, expected to see Vladimir Putin secure another term, are widely considered a farce by Ukraine and its international allies. The government of Ukraine has urged its citizens to not engage in any activities related to the elections, including organizing, campaigning, voting, or observing. Ukraine warns that willingly participating in these fake elections goes against Ukrainian law, while forced participation is not considered unlawful. In-person voting has been underway since Friday, with the largest number of polling stations anticipated to be open on Sunday in Crimea and other regions under Russian control. Russian election officials have been posting updates on voter turnout, but Ukraine claims that the final results will be fabricated. Ukrainian officials also accuse Russia of using intimidation tactics to force people to vote for Putin. Ukraine considers the voting exercise as a means for Russia to legitimize its control over the occupied Ukrainian territories.
