The Kremlin wants to unite the occupied territories into a separate federal district of the Russian Federation – Russian media

"UKRAINSKA PRAVDA" - THURSDAY, 9 JUNE 2022, 16:45

Russia is preparing to unite the occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, as well as the separatist so-called "DPR" [Donetsk People’s Republic] and "LPR" [Luhansk People’s Republic] into a separate federal district of the Russian Federation.

Source: Medusa – a Russian media publication with reference to sources from the administration of the President of the Russian Federation

Quote from the publication’s source: "The district should come into being after ‘referendums’ on joining Russia take place in these territories. Ukrainian territories will not join the existing districts."

Details: According to the publication’s sources, the creation of the district is under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Head of the Department of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation for the Affairs of the State Council, Boris Rapoport. He previously dealt with the issues of occupied Donbas in 2014 – then he held the position of Deputy Head of the Department for Socio-Economic Cooperation with CIS countries.

According to the publication, the Kremlin is currently discussing two dates for pseudo-"referendums". The first will be held "in mid-July, if the situation at the front allows". And the second, "more realistic" one on 11 September, the unified day of voting in Russia (the same day the gubernatorial elections will take place).

Several political strategists, with whom the publication spoke on condition of anonymity, said that they had already received offers to work as "political advisors" in Ukrainian territories. They were offered positions of city deputies.

Reminder:

• This week, the Russian-appointed government of collaborators in the Kherson region expressed hope that a "referendum" on joining Russia would be held in the occupied region.

Also, the so-called "representative of the local administration" of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, collaborator Volodymyr Rohov, said the day before that the so-called "referendum" on the region's membership in Russia will take place in 2022.