Putin's next genocidal play: Stealing Ukrainians

Russian-backed authorities in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one of the four “annexed” regions of Ukraine, declared this week that all residents living in the region will automatically become citizens of the Russian Federation by October 30. …

“Local [Russian-appointed – ed.] governors have announced that all residents of the occupied cities, towns and villages in Zaporizhzhia Oblast will automatically be granted the status of citizens of the Russian Federation as of 30 October,” Mayor Ivan Fedorov said.

Russia’s excuse for forcing Zaporizhzhia residents to become Russian is that 93% of those who voted on the third day of the recent referendum in the region supported joining Russia. The referendum was fatally flawed, however, in that huge numbers of Ukrainian citizens have already fled the region and many of those who stayed didn’t turn out to vote. …

Also according to Fedorov, Kremlin-appointed officials in the region were compelled to introduce the measure because large numbers of local people have so far refused to accept Russian passports. Fedorov accused Russian authorities of attempting to intimidate local residents into accepting Russian citizenship but insisted that any decrees issued by the Kremlin are null and void in Ukraine.