{
  "id": 8948531,
  "title": "Russia's holding of 'elections' in temporarily occupied territories illegal, their results are null and void – MFA",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/russias-holding-of-elections-in-temporarily-occupied-territories",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T15:27:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Interfax-Ukraine",
    "slug": "interfax-ukraine",
    "url": "https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1207593.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Russian government's sanctioning of elections in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories is deemed a mockery of democracy and an affront to international law, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The MFA asserts that such elections in occupied regions hold no merit and their outcomes are invalidated. This action contravenes Ukraine's domestic laws and international norms, effectively rendering the entire parliamentary election process in Russia, including the makeup of the Russian parliament, without genuine legitimacy. The MFA urges the global community to scrutinize Russia's intentions in leveraging the results of these elections to justify further military aggression and perpetuate the conflict. It reiterates that any voting conducted under the control of invading forces cannot alter the internationally acknowledged status of Ukraine's temporarily occupied regions. The MFA emphasizes that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol, and the occupied sections of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson remain an inseparable part of Ukraine. Furthermore, the MFA calls upon the international community, including all nations that adhere to international law and the United Nations Charter, to disregard the legitimacy of the Russian State Duma's elections held in Ukraine's occupied territories. It requests condemnation of Russia's actions in these regions and intensifies pressure on the aggressor nation.",
  "summary": "Russia's holding of so-called \"elections\" to the State Duma of Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is a farce that has nothing to do with either democratic elections or the will of the people, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA).",
  "key_points": [
    "Russia's election holding in occupied Ukrainian territories is deemed illegal by MFA.",
    "MFA asserts election results are null and void, invalidating parliamentary process.",
    "MFA urges global community to condemn Russia's actions in occupied Ukrainian regions."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}