Ukraine desires referendum on annexation of Kursk

Ukraine is reportedly planning to carry a referendum on annexing occupied areas in Russia’s Kursk border area.

Ukrainian troopers drive armored autos in Sumy province, bordering Russia’s Kursk area (Photograph: New York Occasions).

In keeping with the information website Avia-ProfessionalRussian warfare correspondent Yury Kotenok stated, the Ukrainian military is planning to carry a referendum on annexing the occupied areas in Kursk to Ukraine’s border province of Sumy.

Mr. Kotenok quoted native residents in Ukrainian-controlled settlements in Kursk as saying that Kiev is reportedly making ready for a referendum on September 6.

This will probably be dealt with by the newly created Ukrainian navy command workplace in Kursk headed by Main Common Eduard Moskalev. As well as, the referendum monitoring course of will probably be carried out by native our bodies created by Ukraine in Kursk.

Ukraine and Russia haven’t commented on the above data.

If this plan is confirmed, Ukraine seems to be repeating Russia’s transfer to launch a “particular navy operation” in Ukraine in February 2022. In late August and early September 2022, Moscow held a referendum after which introduced the annexation of 4 Ukrainian areas, together with Zaporizhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk, regardless of not having full management over the areas.

In subsequent statements, Russia stated it might solely settle for peace talks if Ukraine acknowledged the brand new territorial realities, or acknowledged Russian management over the 4 provinces. Nevertheless, Kiev has repeatedly made it clear that it’ll not quit territory in change for peace.

Ukraine claims management of almost 1,300 sq. kilometers of territory in Kursk after 2 weeks of raid (Graphic: Kyiv Unbiased).

On August 6, Ukraine launched a raid on Russia’s Kursk border area, adjoining to Ukraine’s Sumy border province. After two weeks, Kiev introduced that it had superior about 35km, controlling almost 1,300km2 of territory, or greater than 90 settlements in Kursk.

Kiev stated the operation was not geared toward seizing Russian territory, however at making a buffer zone to guard residents of Ukraine’s border areas from Russian assaults. It was additionally geared toward strengthening Ukraine’s place in any future negotiations with Russia.

Nevertheless, to this point, the US and its Western allies say they nonetheless have no idea Kiev’s actual targets when conducting a secret and dangerous raid on Russian territory.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday predicted that the Ukrainian offensive wouldn’t final lengthy. He believed that the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk province was “a really restricted operation when it comes to house and time”.

Some Western navy analysts additionally identified that Kiev would discover it troublesome to threat sustaining a lot of troopers and gear to occupy territories in Russia whereas Moscow continues to threaten Ukraine’s defenses within the East.