Russia to create "Federal District of Crimea" headed by Dmitry Rogozin in occupied territories of Ukraine, sources tell journalists

OLENA ROSHCHINA – TUESDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2022, 10:44

The Russian Federation might oversee the creation of the "Federal District of Crimea" in the Ukrainian territories, which are currently occupied by Russian forces and which Russia is planning to annex in a series of sham referendums. The federal district is expected to include the Crimean peninsula itself, as well as the occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.

Source: Vedomosti, a Russian-language business daily newspaper published in Moscow, citing a source in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation and a source "close to the Kremlin"

Details: The Russian Federation might oversee the creation of a new federal district, the Federal District of Crimea, following the illegal sham referendums on the occupied Ukrainian territories "joining" the Russian Federation, which are expected to conclude on 27 September.

Dmitry Rogozin, the former Director General of Roscosmos, the Russian State Space Corporation, is likely to be appointed as the head of the new district, according to a source in the military and defence industry and two sources close to the administration of the Russian president.

A source close to the Presidential Administration of Russia told Vedomosti that a decision regarding Rogozin’s appointment will be made in the near future. It is very likely, according to this source, that his candidacy will be approved.

The source also explained that the new federal district must be created in light of the "difficult situation" surrounding the "referendums on joining [Russia]" and said that a "political heavyweight" was needed to govern the occupied territories.

Another source close to Putin’s administration explained Rogozin’s possible appointment as the authorised representative of the Russian president in the new federal district as follows: "There is a lot of work to be done there, so this is entirely possible."

This source said that given that Rogozin still does not hold a position of federal importance, it is likely that he will be appointed to head the new federal district.

Rogozin left his post as the director general of Roscosmos on 15 July. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president, has said that "he will soon have a new job".

Neither Peskov nor Rogozin responded to journalists’ questions about Rogozin’s possible appointment.

A source in Roscosmos told Vedomosti that members of Rogozin’s team who are still working at the aerospace company do not seem to be gearing up for new appointments just yet. This source said that Rogozin would welcome the appointment.

The source in the Federation Council said that they were not aware if the authorised representative of the Russian president in the new district would have additional government responsibilities.

Vedomosti reported that Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin is in charge of issues relating to the occupied territories of Ukraine in the Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Federation.

Background: Russia is holding sham referendums in the occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts in Ukraine from 23 to 27 September. Most of the world has explicitly refused to recognise the results of these referendums. On the evening of 25 September, Russia declared a "high voter turnout" in all sham referendums taking place in eastern and southern Ukraine, apart from Kherson Oblast.

The results of these sham referendums are expected to be declared on 28 September. On 30 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to address the Federation Council and announce the annexation of these territories to Russia.

On 21 September, Putin addressed Russian citizens and declared his support for the illegal referendums. He announced partial mobilisation in Russia during the same address.

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