22 September 2022, Thursday, 18:41 394

Russian Special Services Recruiting "Observers" Among Foreigners For "Referendums" In Ukraine - Defense Reform Center

Редактор: Tetiana Herasimova

In preparation for the so-called "referendums" in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Regions, the Russian special services are urgently working to recruit so-called "international observers" among foreign citizens.

The head of the Center for Defense Reforms, coordinator of the interagency platform for countering hybrid threats, which carries out its activities within the framework of Ukraine-NATO cooperation, Oleksandr V. Danyliuk, said this in a comment to Guildhall with reference to a source in the Ukrainian intelligence community.

"In preparation for the referendum in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the Russian special services are urgently searching for foreign citizens who could be involved in holding "referendums" as "international observers," he said.

"Today, negotiations are conducted with about a hundred foreign citizens, most of whom are current officials in their countries. The first deputy of the Council of Young Diplomats of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Aganesyan Areg Gareginovich, was appointed responsible for organizing the visit of foreigners. At the moment, 3 citizens of Germany, 3 - Serbia, 4 - Italy and about 10 citizens of the countries of the African continent have allegedly provided confirmation of their participation," said the head of the Center for Defense Reforms.

"At the direction of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, during the so-called "referendum" in the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, the presence of at least 15 "international observers" is required, and in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Regions - 10," concluded Danyliuk.

"It is worth noting that such "referendums" are a crime and participation in them, both for residents of the occupied territories and for foreigners, entails criminal liability," added the head of the Center for Defense Reforms.

Recall that on September 19, Kremlin protégés in the ORDLO demanded an "immediate" referendum on joining the Russian Federation against the backdrop of the counterattack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this region. On September 20, collaborators in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia also advocated an urgent "referendum."

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Kremlin, in a panic over the counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, is trying to hold "referendums" because it has exhausted all available tools to stop the progress of Ukraine.