Referendums will continue until Tuesday and are seen as paving the way for Moscow’s annexation of the territories and an escalation of the war. Ukraine and its allies have already made clear they will not recognise the outcome. A similar referendum, held in Crimea after the Russian invasion of 2014, found 97 percent in favour of formal annexation in a vote that took place under the close watch of Russian soldiers and was not recognised by the international community. There will be no independent observers, and polling stations in Zaporizhzhia will be under heavy guard.Read Long Article
