Ukraine - September 2022

In the week of 21-27 September, President Vladimir Putin announced illegal and illegitimate annexation referendums in parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine, a “partial” mobilization of Russian military reserves in support of the war on Ukraine, and then oversaw the conduct of sham referendums themselves. The annexation severely infringes on the rights and continued security of the Ukrainian citizens living in the area in question. The mobilization has been marked by haphazard administration and resulted in more than 200,000 Russian men fleeing the country to avoid conscription. 

*Given that referenda were held in illegally annexed parts of Ukraine, it is important to note that the negative impact on democracy in Ukraine is a result of Russian action. 

Sources: CSIS, BBC, International IDEA