Russian forces in the occupied territories of Ukraine are forcing residents to "vote" in the so-called presidential "elections" of the Russian Federation. The methods employed by the Russians include intimidation, bribery, and pressure.
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense on Telegram, in the occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, representatives of the Russian authorities, accompanied by armed military personnel and FSB agents, are going door-to-door to Ukrainian households to explain "who to vote for."
The Russian forces claim that they can fabricate support for dictator Vladimir Putin of over 200%, and the outcome of the "elections" will be unchanged. Russians imply that refusing to vote would indicate an anti-Russian stance.
The Directorate of Military Intelligence adds that in the Kherson region, before the so-called "elections," they held filtration measures in early March, during which they detained "unreliable" Ukrainians. The main criterion for this was the absence of a Russian passport.
Entrepreneurs and educators are also under pressure. The Russians threaten them with dismissals and deprivation of the right to work. Meanwhile, pensioners in the occupied territories are being bribed to "vote" for Putin.
"Despite pressure and repression from Russian occupation forces, residents of the enslaved territories refuse to participate in the illegal legitimization of Putin's rule. Most people silently resist the occupiers by staying in their homes and trying to obstruct the representatives of the so-called 'mobile polling stations'," the statement said.
