Day 212: Referenda Voting Begins, Lavrov Hits Back at West

Facts

• Voting began on Friday in four regions of Ukraine controlled by Russia regarding whether they would formally become part of the Russian Federation. The referenda are being held in the Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. Ukraine and Western countries have denounced the votes.
• Meanwhile, Russian FM Sergei Lavrov defended Russia's position regarding the war in Ukraine on Thursday, responding to accusations that Moscow had “shredded” international norms. Lavrov denied that Russia had committed war crimes and blamed Ukraine and the West for the conflict, saying that “the decision to conduct a special military operation was inevitable.”
• At the same time, the UN said on Friday that serious war crimes had been committed in Ukraine. The UN's investigation focused on Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy and found that Russian forces allegedly abused and executed prisoners, while Ukraine was also found to be guilty of alleged prisoner abuse.
• A senior Ukrainian official said on Thursday that a large number of Ukrainian prisoners released in a recent prisoner exchange showed signs of torture. The official also said that some of the Ukrainian POWs released by Russia are receiving rehabilitation in a hospital in Ukraine.
• In Ukraine, an explosion hit a crowded market in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Thursday, with Russian and Ukrainian officials exchanging blame for the incident. The explosion occurred on the eve of the referenda across Russian-controlled regions. Melitopol, which is in the Zaporizhzhia region, was one of the first cities captured by Russian forces.
• In Washington, 17 members of Congress told Sec. of Def. Lloyd Austin to speed up a Pentagon security review of a Ukrainian request for large drones that can be armed. The Biden admin.'s plan to give Ukraine the drones hit a snag in June due to fear that the system’s sophisticated surveillance equipment might fall into Russian hands.

Sources: NPR Online News, Financial Times, France24, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by The Guardian. The referenda being held in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine are a brazen exercise in propaganda. Russia has no right to essentially annex any Ukrainian territory, and these referenda are completely illegitimate. Thankfully, the votes will have no impact on the ground or on Ukraine's resolve.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Al Mayadeen. The referenda are being held in an open and transparent way, and the people of eastern and southern Ukraine have the full right to secede from those in Kyiv who have oppressed them. The move is also highly strategic, as Moscow's opponents will suddenly find themselves engaged in a war on Russian territory, not only de facto but legally as well.