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The 2023 elections in Russian-occupied Ukraine took place on 8–10 September 2023, on common election day, one year after the Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

The results were largely rejected by the international community, with North Korea and Syria being the only ones to explicitly recognise them. Regardless, Russia used the vote to try legitimise their rule.

Background

Russian control over the four regions is illegal under international law.

Ukrainian human rights activists have claimed that about half of the candidates and also of registered voters were citizens of the Russian Federation who had never lived in Ukraine before 2022.

Conduct

In an effort to increase voter turnout to make the election seem more legitimate, Russian officials went door to door telling residents to go to polls. There, their votes were observed by armed police bussed in from Russia.

On September 8, the headquarters of United Russia in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast was firebombed by pro-Ukrainian partisans, and various polling stations where also attacked by them between September 8 and 9.

Reactions

The Council of Europe denounced the election in the occupied territories as "a flagrant violation of international law."

See also

• 2023 Russian regional elections

References

1. "So-called referenda in Russian-controlled Ukraine 'cannot be regarded as legal': UN political affairs chief". UN News. 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
2. ^ Bailey, Riley; Evans, Angelica; Wolkov, Nicole; Hird, Karolina; Clark, Mason. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 10, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
3. "Putin-Partei feiert Sieg nach Scheinwahlen in besetzten Gebieten" [Putin party celebrates victory after sham elections in occupied territories]. Tagesschau (in German). September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023. Ukrainische Menschenrechtler berichten, dass sowohl Wähler- als auch Kandidatenlisten ungefähr zur Hälfte aus Bürgern der Russischen Föderation bestanden, die bis zum Jahr 2022 nie in der Ukraine gelebt hatten. [Ukrainian human rights activists report that approximately half of both voter and candidate lists consisted of citizens of the Russian Federation who had never lived in Ukraine before 2022.]
4. Mappes, Grace; Hird, Karolina; Bailey, Riley; Harward, Christina; Clark, Mason. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 9, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
5. "Putin's party wins controversial polls in annexed Ukraine regions: Reports". al jazeera. Retrieved 11 September 2023.

v t e (2022 ←)   2023 elections in Russia   (→ 2024)
State Duma	By-elections 2023
Gubernatorial	Khakassia Sakha Republic Altai Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai Primorsky Krai Amur Oblast Ivanovo Oblast Kemerovo Oblast Magadan Oblast Moscow Oblast Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Novosibirsk Oblast Omsk Oblast Oryol Oblast Pskov Oblast Samara Oblast Smolensk Oblast Tyumen Oblast Voronezh Oblast Moscow Chukotka AO
Regional	Bashkortostan Buryatia Kalmykia Khakassia Sakha Republic Zabaykalsky Krai Arkhangelsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast Ivanovo Oblast Kemerovo Oblast Rostov Oblast Smolensk Oblast Ulyanovsk Oblast Vladimir Oblast Yaroslavl Oblast Nenets AO Russian-occupied Ukraine

• Donetsk Oblast in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Kherson Oblast in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Luhansk Oblast in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Zaporizhzhia Oblast in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Russian elections in Ukraine
• September 2023 events in Ukraine
• September 2023 events in Russia
• 2023 elections in Europe