Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-backed Kherson Military-Civilian Administration, was quoted by state-owned media as saying on Tuesday that a there is high chance a referendum will take place in Kherson, as part of a process that may pave the way for the region to join Russia.
The Kherson region has been almost entirely under the control of Russian forces since the beginning of March, when it became the first major city to be seized by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops since the war began.
Ukrainian authorities and Western intelligence officials have long raised concerns that Russia intends to hold a referendum on the creation of the Kherson People’s Republic in the region, although the Kremlin has so far denied the claims. Ukraine has called plans to hold a referendum in the city a sham.
The new regional government is already phasing out Ukraine’s currency, the hryvnia, and introducing the Russian ruble.
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