Voting has begun in Russian-occupied Ukrainian lands to decide if the regions should join the Russian Federation. Kyiv and Western nations have denounced the referendums. See potential bias and similarities in coverage from nypost, Reuters, and CNN:
by Moscow-backed regional governments to vote on if the regions should join the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian government and the bulk of Western countries have denounced the referendums as fraudulent, illegal, and conducted under undemocratic circumstances.with an article from CNN stating that voting on the issue is being “effectively carried out at gunpoint” by Russian-backed separatists and invading Moscow forces.
Results from each region’s vote are expected to be announced gradually in the next week, but most outlets are already predicting the vote to overwhelmingly favor joining Russia on account of the performative nature of the referendum. The decision to hold the referendum mirrors previous strategies from the Kremlin. A similar vote was held on the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and used to justify Russian occupation of the Ukrainian land.and bolster support for their invasion of Ukraine.