ISW: Russia can hold a “referendum” in the format of “home voting” in the occupied territories — it is limited the opportunities for partisans

The Russian occupation authorities can speed up preparations for "pseudo-referendums" in the occupied territories and use the "home voting" format — this will allow the collection of personal data of residents and reduce the risk of partisan attacks.

This is stated in the summary of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

For example, the Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol city (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Ivan Fedorov, reported on August 7 that the residentsʼ resistance is forcing the Russian authorities to change their plans for holding a "referendum". Fedorov stated that the occupation authorities had planned one day of voting, but were now considering a seven-day "home voting", during which armed occupiers would go from house to house and "interview" the residents of Melitopol.

ISW writes that by removing the possibility of in-person voting and switching to apartment-by-apartment polls, the Russian occupation authorities are expanding their opportunities for direct intimidation of Ukrainian civilians. Such a vote makes any independent oversight of the process impossible. The occupying power can also turn these "surveys" into gathering-of-intelligence-information operations to identify the Ukrainian opposition. In addition, “home voting” also limits opportunities for partisan action.

The Institute for the Study of War notes that the Kremlin can schedule different types of voting in different occupied areas depending on the perceived support of the local population, the risk of guerrilla attacks and bureaucratic capacity. For example, the Ukrainian head of the Luhansk oblast military-civilian administration, Serhiy Haidai, reported on August 7 that the Russian occupation authorities in the Luhansk oblast had identified places for the personal holding of the "referendum".

• In July, the mass media reported that Russia was in a hurry to hold "referendums" on the annexation of the occupied territories of Ukraine by mid-September. They want to hold them until September 15, so that then Putin can join them to Russia. There is no exact date yet.
• The Security Service of Ukraine reported that it had exposed Russiaʼs plans to join the occupied oblasts of Ukraine. To carry out the so-called “demonstration of goodwill”, the occupiers plan to use a pro-Russian organization called the "Donetsk Republic". Previously, it operated only in the "DPR", but now the geography of its activities is being expanded, and the name will be changed — the most likely option is "Great Russia". In August, the SSU also intercepted documents from the occupiers about the "referendum" in the Kherson oblast. Pickets and 20 "election commissions" are planned there.