RUSSIA HOLDS BREAKAWAY POLLS

PEOPLE in some regions of Ukraine began voting on Friday on whether to become part of Russia, in referendums that Kyiv and its allies have condemned as an unlawful land grab.

The referendums in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as in the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions have been dismissed as a sham by Kyiv’s allies.

The voting, which spans five days, comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a mandatory troop call-up for about 300 000 reservists this week, sparking Western condemnation.

The authorities are to go doorto-door for four days to collect votes. Polling stations will then open on Tuesday for residents to cast ballots in person on the final day of voting. |