Lauge Risom Koch 
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned Russia’s staged State Duma elections in occupied territories, calling the heavily armed voting process a political farce.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned Russia for organizing illegitimate parliamentary elections within its temporarily occupied territories. According to United24 Media, the voting is scheduled to take place across six occupied regions from September 18 to 20. The official statement firmly rejected the legal legitimacy of these staged political proceedings occurring inside sovereign Ukrainian borders.
Ukrainian officials warned that incorporating representatives from these contested areas fundamentally undermines the entire Russian legislative body. As reported by United24 Media, the ministry stated that the proceedings fail to grant Moscow any sovereign rights over the stolen land. The ministry explicitly declared, “This is a farce by the occupying state that has nothing to do with democratic elections and creates no legal basis for extending Russia’s jurisdiction to any part of Ukraine’s territory.”
The foreign ministry urged the global community to completely reject the fabricated results of this orchestrated voting process. According to United24 Media, Kyiv reminded international partners that 143 member states officially condemned the illegal annexation during a historic United Nations General Assembly vote. The government also issued a stern warning to any foreign entities planning to validate the event by participating as official observers.
Manufacturing international legitimacy through foreign commentators
To manufacture a facade of democratic validation, Moscow actively bypassed established international monitoring organizations like the OSCE. As highlighted by United24 Media, the Kremlin replaced reputable institutional monitors with a handpicked selection of foreign political figures, bloggers, and activists. Russian state media strategically presents these sympathetic individuals to domestic audiences as independent international election observers.
Many of these selected foreign nationals possess a long history of endorsing illegal Russian activities across occupied Ukraine. According to United24 Media, the observer list includes at least two controversial figures like heavily sanctioned commentator Xavier Moreau and British blogger Vanessa Beeley. Utilizing these specific individuals allows the occupying authorities to project an illusion of external democratic approval for their deeply flawed electoral process.
The Ukrainian government dismissed the entire political spectacle as a symptom of Russia’s broader domestic authoritarianism. As noted by United24 Media, the ministry firmly stated that “any ‘elections’ in modern Russia are merely a farce.” The official statement argued that genuine democratic freedom, political pluralism, and basic civil liberties have been entirely absent from the country for more than 25 years.
Armed soldiers accompany mobile polling teams
Russian occupation authorities have already initiated early parliamentary voting procedures across temporarily occupied areas of the Donetsk region. According to United24 Media, local election officials are actively dispatching mobile polling teams directly to the private homes of rural residents. These traveling electoral workers are consistently accompanied by heavily armed military servicemen and local police officers during their residential visits.
Recently published video footage clearly documents the coercive nature of this door-to-door ballot collection process. As reported by United24 Media, the visual evidence shows officials gathering votes outside rural houses under the direct supervision of armed Russian soldiers. While Moscow claims these measures ensure civilian safety under martial law, the visible military presence creates an inherently intimidating voting environment.
Ukrainian security and law enforcement agencies are closely monitoring these orchestrated political activities occurring within the occupied territories. According to United24 Media, the Security Service of Ukraine issued a stark reminder regarding the severe legal consequences for local collaborators. The domestic intelligence agency warned that actively organizing these staged elections constitutes a serious criminal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
