Zelensky imposes sanctions on 44 participants in illegal “elections” in TOT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued sanctions on September 26 against 44 people involved in the Russian-organized parliamentary elections in Ukraine's occupied territories, according to the Presidential Office. These elections took place from September 18 to 20, with voting beginning in occupied Ukrainian regions as late as August.

Eleven electoral districts were established across the occupied areas. Zelensky's sanctions target individuals who align with Russia's interests and support the occupation, including in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia oblasts, Crimea, and Sevastopol. Some of the sanctioned individuals were elected to local councils set up by Russian-backed authorities, while others are accused of collaborating with Russian forces or aiding the occupation.

Among those sanctioned are Irina Kuksenkova, a Russian propagandist and collaborator, and Yurii Onyshchuk, a former Ukrainian lawmaker who joined Russian authorities after Melitopol was occupied. The Russian State Duma elections marked the first such polls held in occupied Ukrainian territories since Russia issued mass Russian passports to Ukrainians, requiring them to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship.

However, these elections were not the first. In September 2022, Russian occupation authorities held sham referendums in occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Ukraine's Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, emphasized that international humanitarian law requires an occupying power to respect the laws of the occupied territory, and occupation does not grant any sovereignty.

The U.N. General Assembly has consistently reaffirmed Ukraine's territorial integrity, including in 2014 concerning Crimea and in 2022 when 143 countries condemned Russia's attempted annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Ukraine's ruling party, United Russia, secured over 57% of the vote, with a voter turnout of 59%, according to Russian authorities.

Yabloko, the only party openly opposing Russia's war against Ukraine, was barred from the elections after a ruling by Russia's Supreme Court, based on a lawsuit filed by the Rodina party accusing Yabloko of extremism and copyright violations. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was also denied permission to monitor the vote.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry labeled the elections a "farce" and stated that Kyiv would not recognize the results. Many Western nations, including the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, condemned the so-called elections.