The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine has published an official statement calling on citizens in temporarily occupied territories to categorically refrain from participating in the 'elections' planned by Russia. The commission emphasizes that any attempts by Moscow to hold voting from September 18 to 20, 2026, are absolutely illegitimate, and their results will have no legal force either in Ukraine or under international law.

Political Provocation Disguised as Democracy

The CEC statement notes that Russia continues to systematically use electoral procedures as a tool to attempt to legitimize the occupation of Ukrainian lands. Despite condemnation from the international community, the Kremlin is trying to forcibly integrate captured territories into its political and legal space. The commission emphasizes that all documents issued during these events are legally void and create no legal consequences for Ukrainian citizens.

Criminal Liability and Call for Resistance

The Ukrainian commission has approved an official appeal to the international community and citizens. It contains a direct call not to participate in any events related to the organization or conduct of these actions — from working in so-called election commissions to participating in agitation. The CEC reminded that complicity with the aggressor state entails criminal liability under Ukrainian legislation. The commission has already sent appeals to the SBU, DBR, the Office of the Prosecutor General, and the NSDC to coordinate actions to counter these provocations.

New 'Districts' and Digital Manipulations

In June 2026, the Russian CEC decided to hold a so-called electoral process in the occupied territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, as well as in Crimea and Sevastopol. To this end, the occupiers illegally created 11 single-mandate electoral districts. Notably, this will be the first time that Russians plan to hold such 'elections' on the territories of the four partially occupied mainland regions of Ukraine. For manipulation and control over the population, the occupation administrations are actively using digital tools and chatbots, launching them well before the official voting date.

Contradictory Data

There is a discrepancy in the assessment of the scale of preparations for the voting. On the one hand, Russian sources claim 'large-scale work' to engage the population and create infrastructure for voting. On the other hand, Ukrainian intelligence services and international observers note that actual turnout at such events is often ensured by administrative pressure and rigging. Moreover, while Moscow tries to present these events as a 'democratic choice', Ukraine and the West view them exclusively as a tool of occupation policy aimed at consolidating control over the territories.

Kremlin Strategy and International Context

Russia's attempts to hold another so-called 'vote' in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are a long-standing Kremlin strategy. In particular, in the spring of 2025, it became known that the RF planned to 'legalize' the occupation of territories during another election campaign for the State Duma. Now, in 2026, this strategy continues, despite the ongoing conflict and the lack of international recognition of the annexations. Ukraine insists that any actions by Russia in these territories are illegal and cannot change the status quo.