Russia escalated its military and political campaign Thursday to capture Ukrainian territory, rounding up Russian army reservists to fight, preparing votes expected to lead to the annexation of occupied areas and launching new deadly attacks.
plan voter referendums starting Friday on becoming part of Russia - a move that could expand the war and follows the Kremlin's playbook from when it annexed's Crimean Peninsula after a similar referendum. Most of the world considers the 2014 annexation of Crimea to have been illegal.
In Luhansk, billboards reading “With Russia Forever” and “Our Choice-Russia” appeared on the streets, while volunteers distributed ribbons in the colors of the Russian national flag and posters reading, “Russia is the future. Participate in the referendum!” The governor of the mostly Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region, Oleksandr Starukh, said Russian forces had targeted infrastructure and damaged apartment buildings in the city, which remains in Ukrainian hands.
Putin has repeatedly spoken about Medvedchuk as a victim of political repression. Media reports alleged that before Russia's invasion, Medvedchuk was seen as a top candidate for leading a puppet government the Kremlin hoped to install inAmong the freed fighters were Ukrainian defenders of a steel plant in Mariupol during a long Russian siege, along with 10 foreigners, including five British citizens and two U.S. military veterans, who had fought with Ukrainian forces.
The non-profit Presidium Network, which is helping provide aid to Kyiv, said Aslin, Pinner and three other Britons were safely home and reunited with their families Thursday. Concerns about a potentially wider draft sent some Russians scrambling to buy plane tickets to flee the country.
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