EXPLAINER: What's behind referendums in occupied Ukraine?

EXPLAINER: What's behind referendums inside occupied Ukraine?

Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp escalation of the almost seven-month war.

Ukraine with every one other accompanied by its Western allies have rejected the votes while illegitimate with every one other accompanied by neither without charge nor fair, saying they will have no indeed binding force.

A look at the referendums with every one other accompanied by their potential implications:

WHY ARE THE REFERENDUMS HAPPENING?

The Kremlin has used this tactic before. In 2014, it held a hastily called referendum inside Ukraine's Crimea neighbourhood that too was denounced by the West while unlawful with every one other accompanied by illegitimate. Moscow used the ballot while a justification to annex the Black Sea peninsula inside a go that was not recognized by most of the world.

On Tuesday, authorities inside the separatist Luhansk with every one other accompanied by Donetsk regions that build up Ukraine's eastern manufacturing heartland known while the Donbas abruptly announced that referendums on joining Russia would exist held starting Friday. Moscow-backed officials inside the Kherson with every one other accompanied by Zaporizhzhia regions inside the south too called votes.

The moves followed months of conflicting signals from Moscow with every one other accompanied by separatist officials concerning the referendums that reflected the shifts on the battlefield.

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During the summer, when the Kremlin hoped for a fast capture of all of the Donbas region, local officials talked concerning organizing the votes inside September.

Russian troops with every one other accompanied by local separatist forces have taken jurisdiction of in effect all of the Luhansk region, nevertheless only concerning 60% of the Donetsk region. The slow step of Russia's insulting inside the the orient with every one other accompanied by the Ukrainian push to reclaim areas inside the Kherson neighbourhood made officials inside Moscow talk concerning delaying the votes until November.

The Kremlin's plans changed on one occasion additional following a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive this month forced Russian troops to retreat from broad swaths of the northeastern Kharkiv neighbourhood with every one other accompanied by raised the likelihood of additional gains by Kyiv's forces.

Observers speak that by moving fast to absorb the captured territories into Russia, the Kremlin hopes to strength Ukraine to halt its counteroffensive with every one other accompanied by receive the contemporaneous areas of occupation or face devastating retaliation.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE REGIONS WHERE THE VOTE WILL OCCUR?

The 2014 ballot inside Crimea was held under the near watch of Russian troops in a short time following they had overtaken the peninsula, where most residents were pro-Moscow.

Separatists who have controlled large chunks of the Donbas since 2014 have lengthy pushed for joining Russia with every one other accompanied by have shown little tolerance for dissent. When the rebellion erupted there, the separatists fast organized referendums inside which a majority voted to fasten Russia, nevertheless the Kremlin ignored the outcome.

The set of two regions declared their self-government from Ukraine weeks following Crimea's annexation, triggering eight years of fighting that President Vladimir Putin used while a pretext to launch an invasion inside February to retain protected from danger their residents.

In the southern regions, which were occupied by Russian troops inside the opening days of the invasion, anti-Russian sentiments sprint strong. Hundreds of pro-Kyiv activists have been arrested, accompanied by numerous alleging they were tortured. Others were forcibly deported, with every one other accompanied by tens of thousands fled.

Since Russian forces swept into the Kherson neighbourhood with every one other accompanied by small portion of the Zaporizhzhia region, Moscow-appointed authorities there have gash off Ukrainian TV broadcasts, replacing them accompanied by Russian programming. They have handed not here Russian passports to residents, introduced the ruble with every one other accompanied by flat issued Russian license plates to pave the way for their incorporation into Russia.

Moscow-appointed administrations have go nearer under recurrent attacks by members of Ukrainian resistance movement, which has killed local officials, bombed polling stations with every one other accompanied by other management buildings, with every one other accompanied by helped the Ukrainian military mark answer infrastructure.

WHAT IS BEING SAID ABOUT THE LEGITIMACY OF THE VOTE?

The five-day voting procedure will lay clasp of place inside the non-attendance of self-governing monitors with every one other accompanied by provide ample space for rigging the outcome.

When the referendums were announced earlier this week, the West straight away questioned their legitimacy. U.S. President Joe Biden with every one other accompanied by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to them while shams, with every one other accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron said they would have "no legal consequences."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy too called them "noise" to distract the public.

HOW IS RUSSIA'S MILITARY MOBILIZATION RELATED?

A day following the referendums were announced, Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reservists to bolster his forces inside Ukraine, with every one other accompanied by he too declared he was prepared to use nuclear weapons to fend off some attacks on Russian territory.

The Defense Ministry said the mobilization — Russia's earliest since World War II — is intended to call up concerning 300,000 reservists accompanied by foregoing military experience. Observers noted, however, that Putin's decree is broad sufficient to permit the military to swell the numbers if needed. Some reports propose the Kremlin's goal is amassing 1 million men, inside a secret small portion of the decree.

The Kremlin lengthy has shunned taking such a greatly unpopular move, wary of fomentin discontent with every one other accompanied by eroding Putin's support base.

The latest Ukrainian counteroffensive exposed Russia's inability to jurisdiction the 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) front dash accompanied by its contemporaneous restricted strength of volunteers. Military experts speak it will lay clasp of months to build the newly called-up reservists prepared for combat.

HOW IS PUTIN'S NUCLEAR THREAT RELATED?

As Putin struggles for ways to retain away from new humiliating defeats, he signaled his readiness Wednesday to use nuclear weapons to retain protected from danger the country's territory — a blunt warning to Ukraine to place an extremity to pressing its insulting into the regions now place to become small portion of Russia.

Observers saw Putin's threat while an effective ultimatum to Ukraine with every one other accompanied by its Western backers to turn into ice the dispute or face a potential escalation all the way to a nuclear conflict.

While Russian military doctrine envisages using atomic weapons inside response to a nuclear assault or aggression involving orthodox weapons that "threatens the extremely actuality of the state," Putin's statement further lowered the threshold for their use.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council chaired by Putin, amplified the president's threat Thursday, saying that following absorbing the quartet Ukrainian regions, Moscow could use "any Russian weapons, including planned nuclear weapons" to protect them.

The allude to of planned nuclear forces, which include intercontinental ballistic missiles with every one other accompanied by long-range bombers, sent a warning that Russia could mark not only Ukraine nevertheless too the U.S. with every one other accompanied by its allies accompanied by nuclear weapons inside instance of an escalation.

Zelenskyy dismissed the nuclear threats while bluster with every one other accompanied by vowed to without charge all occupied territories.

—-

Follow AP's coverage of the war inside Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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Beneath nearby trees, their cars were smashed with every one other accompanied by torn by shrapnel....","isTpContent":false,"socialEmbeds":[],"isPrContent":false,"storyHTML":"\u003cp>PRUDYANKA, Ukraine (AP) — The quartet soldiers lay inside the grass, sleeping bags with every one other accompanied by cans of food, some opened, scattered around them. Beneath nearby trees, their cars were smashed with every one other accompanied by torn by shrapnel. The men had been deceased for months.\u003c/p>\u003cp>This neighbourhood of rolling fields with every one other accompanied by woodland near the Russian border was the location of fierce battles for months throughout the summer. Only now, following Ukrainian forces retook the area with every one other accompanied by pushed Russian troops spine across the border inside a blistering counteroffensive, has the retrieval of bodies scattered across the battlefield been possible. \u003c/p>\u003cp>The area was of planned importance while its high ground is among the positions where Russian artillery could easily strike Kharkiv, Ukraine's hard-hit second-largest city, said Col. Vitalii Shum, deputy leader of the 3rd Brigade of Ukraine's National Guard, whose team has been collecting the battlefield deceased — both Ukrainian with every one other accompanied by Russian — for days.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>For the soldiers' families, report of the body recuperation will exist final, incontrovertible confirmation that their son, brother, father or husband will not exist coming home. \u003c/p>\u003cp>Even if they had been notified that their loved ones died inside combat, lacking a body to mourn over a glimmer of hope remained.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv id='afs:Card:246675595414' class='hub-peek-embed' content-id='6df01051cd6012d887a01fc267f3d325'>Hub peek embed (Russia-Ukraine) - Compressed layout (automatic embed) \u003c/div>\u003cp>"They would exist hoping that he was captured, with every one other accompanied by this is the worst," Shum said. Once the bodies' identities are verified into and not here of DNA tests, "a difficult with every one other accompanied by firm procedure will lay clasp of place," he added: notifying the family the body has been found, with every one other accompanied by all hope of their loved one on one occasion additional walking into and not here of the front door is lost. \u003c/p>\u003cp>During the retrieval task on Monday, Shum's team photographed the location for proof with every one other accompanied by unpacked body bags while soldiers checked the surroundings, with every one other accompanied by the bodies themselves, for booby-traps with every one other accompanied by mines. One of the deceased soldiers had a hand grenade on him — he never had hour dated to use it while the Russians closed in. \u003c/p>\u003cp>After the search for explosives was finished, a fighter went into and not here of the pockets of the deceased men's uniforms for identity cards with every one other accompanied by personal belongings, placing them inside malleable bags earlier to the decomposing bodies were lifted into body bags. \u003c/p>\u003cp>The position of employment was performed matter-of-factly, quietly, gently. The body bags were zipped up, numbered with every one other accompanied by carried down a muddy track to a waiting truck. \u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>The battle here occurred inside June, with every one other accompanied by it was while ferocious while it was bloody. It included close-quarters combat while well while the use of tanks with every one other accompanied by artillery, said 1st Lt. Mykyta Sydorenko, a 24-year-old leader of an anti-tank component who participated inside the fight with every one other accompanied by was now spine to assist congregate the remains of his fellow soldiers.\u003c/p>\u003cp>In all, the Ukrainians had quartet positions inside the area, with every one other accompanied by were determined to clasp them. The Russian troops attacked with every one other accompanied by captured quartet Ukrainian soldiers, with every one other accompanied by the Ukrainians launched a rescue bid. An all-day battle ensued, Sydorenko said. Ukrainian reinforcements came in, nevertheless the Russians fair kept coming.\u003c/p>\u003cp>"They were coming exist fond of ants, I fair don't know how to report it inside another way," he said. \u003c/p>\u003cp>The losses were heavy on both sides. Sydorenko said at least 16 Russian soldiers were killed, accompanied by the Russians using artillery to retain the Ukrainians at bay while they collected their deceased with every one other accompanied by wounded.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>Of the Ukrainians, all sextet holding one position were captured, he said, with every one other accompanied by all eight holding another were wounded. Of the violently 17 or 18 men at Sydorenko's position, trio were killed with every one other accompanied by set of two were wounded. \u003c/p>\u003cp>He's not sure what happened to the sextet men holding the fourth position. The area where the bodies of the quartet men were found was an evacuation point place up for the wounded, he said.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Eventually, faced accompanied by the Russian onslaught, the surviving Ukrainians, Sydorenko among them, were forced to retreat into and not here of a minefield with every one other accompanied by a swamp.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Returning to where he lost his comrades wasn't uncomplicated for the young officer. It is "unpleasant, frankly," he said. "There are not numerous good memories from this place."\u003c/p>\u003cp>Nearby, a Russian tank lay burned, its tracks blown off its wheels, a blue-and-yellow Ukrainian banner now fluttering atop it. A few days earlier, Shum's men found the remains of a Russian fighter inside, which they collected with every one other accompanied by delivered to the Kharkiv morgue. \u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>With the chilly autumn wind swaying the weeds with every one other accompanied by withered sunflowers growing wild inside the fallow fields, Shum with every one other accompanied by his men continued their search. There was another Ukrainian soldier's body by the side of the track, with every one other accompanied by nearby, the remains of another who appeared to have been sprint over by the now-disabled tank. \u003c/p>\u003cp>Further up a hill, a destroyed armored automobile with every one other accompanied by a car, scattered boxes of ammunition with every one other accompanied by pieces of apparatus were testament to the ferocity of the fight. Inside the armored automobile was the body of another soldier.\u003c/p>\u003cp>The same procedure was repeated, with every one other accompanied by the body was lifted into and not here of the vehicle's broken window. The fighter lifting the body's feet gagged, nevertheless waited until his position of employment was completed earlier to heading for the bushes. \u003c/p>\u003cp>In all, Shum with every one other accompanied by his men collected septet Ukrainian soldiers' bodies with every one other accompanied by found the hand of a Russian fighter among discarded Russian body armor with every one other accompanied by backpacks. All the remains were taken to the Kharkiv morgue. \u003c/p>\u003cp>Soon, the notification of the families will begin. \u003c/p>","alertLinkDateTime":null,"storyLayout":{},"reporters":[],"headlinePlacement":null,"relatedStoryEmbeds":[],"disableNativo":false}],"disclaimerText":null,"dividerColor":"#000000","expandedStoryCount":null,"feed":[],"headlineWidget":false,"hubPeekLinkText":null,"hubPeekTagId":null,"hubPeekTagName":null,"hubPeekCanonicalName":null,"hubPeekIsPr":null,"minimizedStoryCount":null,"tagObjs":[{"id":"Russia-Ukraine","name":"Russia-Ukraine war","canonicalName":"russia-ukraine","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-europe","name":"Europe","canonicalName":"europe","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-topnews","name":"AP Top News","canonicalName":"ap-top-news","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-WorldNews","name":"World News","canonicalName":"world-news","isPr":false},{"id":"Kharkiv","name":"Kharkiv","canonicalName":"kharkiv","isPr":false}],"textColor":"#000000","layoutType":"null","customLayoutType":"null","styleName":null,"endDateTime":null,"teamLimit":25,"medalCounts":null,"medalsUpdated":null,"olympicYear":null,"notificationUrl":null,"notificationText":null,"notificationTitle":null,"notificationType":null,"notificationUpdated":null,"adUnits":{},"displayPositionHome":null,"displayPositionApp":null,"featuredCard":null,"publishedDate":"2022-09-22 07:02:47","enableTblRegion":false},{"id":"urn:publicid:ap.org:a126c011a33e9134a95a31b24cea3c7a","shortId":"urn:publicid:ap.org:a126c011a33e9134a95a31b24cea3c7a","allowAd":true,"borderColor":null,"brackets":null,"bracketsSettings":null,"cardTitle":null,"embedCardTitleColor":null,"cardHeadline":null,"cardType":"Wire Story","collectionTagObjs":null,"contents":[{"id":"urn:publicid:ap.org:a126c011a33e9134a95a31b24cea3c7a","shortId":"a126c011a33e9134a95a31b24cea3c7a","bylines":"By HANNA ARHIROVA","canonicalUrl":"russia-ukraine-donetsk-government-and-politics","contentType":"text","disableConnatix":false,"downloadSettings":{},"embedCaption":null,"embedHeight":null,"embedHTML":null,"embedLinkURL":null,"firstWords":"\u003cp>ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russia escalated its military with every one other accompanied by political military operation Thursday to capture Ukrainian territory, rounding up Russian armed force reservists to fight, preparing votes on annexing occupied areas with every one other accompanied by launching new deadly attacks.\u003c/p>","hasTextOverlay":false,"headline":"Tears with every one other accompanied by hugs for Russians called up to fight inside Ukraine","description":null,"interactiveLinkUrl":null,"interactiveLinkUrlText":null,"language":"en","leadPhotoId":"da684ac82ef4421fbfc30ca4147f0b32","leadVideoId":"9f429afc285545d593f09c5fa70fd347","localLinkUrl":"https://apnews.com/a126c011a33e9134a95a31b24cea3c7a","localMemberName":null,"media":[{"id":"da684ac82ef4421fbfc30ca4147f0b32","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>A volunteer of Luhansk geographical election percentage distributes newspapers to local citizens earlier to a referendum inside Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. 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Photo","stackedStory":true,"notificationId":null,"eyebrow":null,"richEmbeds":[{"id":"afs:Card:246675595414","tag":null,"type":"Hub Peek","calloutText":null,"displayName":null,"leadHubLink":null,"richEmbedDetail":{"data":"https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine","rule":"url","style":"Column List"},"isPermanentlyPlaced":null}],"sponsored":false,"contentBundle":null,"movieTitle":null,"immersiveUrl":null,"embedRatio":null,"embedType":null,"pullQuoteObjs":[],"dateline":null,"leadVideoAutoEmbed":true,"flattenedFirstWords":"ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russia escalated its military with every one other accompanied by political military operation Thursday to capture Ukrainian territory, rounding up Russian armed force reservists to fight, preparing votes on annexing ...","isTpContent":false,"socialEmbeds":[{"id":"se0:4fcd09a0-2a00-11ed-a37b-db73f7df67d0","html":"\u003ciframe title=\"Areas of jurisdiction inside Ukraine\" aria-label=\"Locator maps\" id=\"ap-chart-gfCPg\" src=\"https://interactives.ap.org/embeds/gfCPg/113/\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border:none\" height=\"685\">\u003c/iframe>\u003cscript type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var a inside e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r\u003ct.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][a]+\"px\"}}}))}();\u003c/script>","caption":" ","display":"se0","maxWidth":"","alignment":"middle","isHeroImage":false}],"isPrContent":false,"storyHTML":"\u003cp>ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russia escalated its military with every one other accompanied by political military operation Thursday to capture Ukrainian territory, rounding up Russian armed force reservists to fight, preparing votes on annexing occupied areas with every one other accompanied by launching new deadly attacks.\u003c/p>\u003cp>A day following \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-donetsk-f64f9c91f24fc81bc8cc65e8bc7748f4\">President Vladimir Putin ordered\u003c/a> a partial mobilization to bolster his troops inside Ukraine, theatrical scenes of tearful families bidding farewell to men departing from military mobilization centers inside Russia appeared on communal media.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Video on Twitter from the eastern Siberian city of Neryungri showed men emerging from a stadium. Before boarding buses, the men hugged family members waiting outside, numerous crying with every one other accompanied by some covering their mouths accompanied by their hands inside grief. A male held a child up to the window of one bus for a last look.\u003c/p>\u003cp>In Moscow, women hugged, cried with every one other accompanied by made the sign of the cross on men at another mobilization point. A 25-year-old who gave only his earliest name, Dmitry, received a hug from his father, who told him "Be careful," while they parted. \u003c/p>\u003cp>Dmitry told Russian media firm Ostorozhno Novosti he did not expect to exist called up with every one other accompanied by shipped not here so quickly, mainly since he still is a student. \u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\">\u003c/div>\u003cp>"No one told me anything inside the morning. They gave me the preliminary version observation that I should go nearer here at 3 p.m. We waited 1.5 hours, at that hour dated the enlistment officer came with every one other accompanied by said that we are leaving now,\" he said. "I was like, 'Oh great!' I went external outside with every one other accompanied by started calling my parents, brother, all friends of pit to tell that they lay clasp of me."\u003c/p>\u003cp>Western leaders derided Putin's order while an take deed of frailty with every one other accompanied by desperation. More than 1,300 Russians were arrested inside antiwar demonstrations Wednesday following he issued it, according to the self-governing Russian anthropoid rights category OVD-Info. Organizers said additional protests were planned for Saturday.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Putin's partial call-up was \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-moscow-nuclear-weapons-e0b9ba6d3eac964b9c0b7192b3adff2e\">short on details\u003c/a>, so a a large amount of so that the Russian military announced Thursday it had place up a call center to answer questions. Concerns concerning a potentially wider preliminary version sent some Russians \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-fleeing-mobilization-dbe01d0c9be45a8c479565501a2a8f32\">scrambling to buy flat outside tickets t\u003c/a> o run the country.\u003c/p>\u003cp>German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser offered solid support to potential deserters. She told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that anyone who "courageously opposes Putin's management with every one other accompanied by therefore puts himself inside the greatest danger" tin apply for asylum inside Germany.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv id='9f429afc285545d593f09c5fa70fd347' class='media-placeholder'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>In the Kremlin's territory annexation campaign, pro-Moscow authorities inside quartet Russian-held regions of Ukraine scheme voter referendums starting Friday on becoming small portion of Russia — a go that could expand the war with every one other accompanied by follows the Kremlin's playbook from when it annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula following a similar referendum. Most of the world considers the 2014 annexation of Crimea to have been illegal. \u003c/p>\u003cp>Voting on the referendums inside Ukraine's Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia with every one other accompanied by Donetsk regions is scheduled to last into and not here of Tuesday. Foreign leaders have called the votes illegitimate with every one other accompanied by nonbinding. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they were a "sham" with every one other accompanied by "noise" to distract the public.\u003c/p>\u003cp>In Luhansk, billboards perusal "With Russia Forever" with every one other accompanied by "Our Choice-Russia" appeared on the streets, while volunteers distributed ribbons inside the colors of the Russian national banner with every one other accompanied by posters reading, "Russia is the future. Participate inside the referendum!"\u003c/p>\u003cp>On the battlefield, Russian with every one other accompanied by Ukrainian forces exchanged missile with every one other accompanied by artillery barrages while both sides refused to concede ground in malice of recent military setbacks for Moscow with every one other accompanied by the toll on the invaded country following almost septet months of war. \u003c/p>\u003cp>Russian missile strikes inside the southern city of Zaporizhzhia left-hand one human being deceased with every one other accompanied by five wounded, Ukrainian officials said. Officials inside the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk said Ukrainian shelling killed at least sextet people.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-russia-ukraine-putin-biden-health-5596bb7d07051a8edb776faa63311f82\">the Ukrainian president's office\u003c/a>, said a innmotel inside Zaporizhzhia was struck with every one other accompanied by rescuers were trying to without charge people trapped inside rubble. The manager of the mostly Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region, Oleksandr Starukh, said Russian forces had targeted infrastructure with every one other accompanied by damaged apartment buildings inside the city, which remains inside Ukrainian hands.\u003c/p>\u003cp>The mayor of the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, Alexei Kulemzin, said Ukrainian shelling hit a covered market with every one other accompanied by a minibus. Overnight, one human being was killed throughout Russian shelling inside Nikopol, across the watercourse from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, according to the Dnipropetrovsk geographical governor. \u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\">\u003c/div>\u003cdiv class=\"social-embed\" id=\"se0:4fcd09a0-2a00-11ed-a37b-db73f7df67d0\">\u003ciframe title=\"Areas of jurisdiction inside Ukraine\" aria-label=\"Locator maps\" id=\"ap-chart-gfCPg\" src=\"https://interactives.ap.org/embeds/gfCPg/113/\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border:none\" height=\"685\">\u003c/iframe>\u003cscript type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var a inside e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r\u003ct.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][a]+\"px\"}}}))}();\u003c/script>\u003cp class=\"social-caption\"> \u003c/p>\u003c/div>\u003cp>While the hostilities continued, the set of two sides did manage to concur on a greatest convict swap. Ukrainian officials announced the exchange of 215 Ukrainian with every one other accompanied by overseas fighters — 200 of them for a single person, an associate of Putin's. Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, confirmed that pro-Russian Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, was small portion of the swap. \u003c/p>\u003cp>Putin has repeatedly spoken concerning Medvedchuk while a victim of political repression. Media reports alleged that earlier to Russia's invasion, Medvedchuk was a top candidate for leading a puppet management the Kremlin hoped to place inside Ukraine.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\">\u003c/div>\u003cp>Among the freed fighters were Ukrainian defenders of a steel plant inside Mariupol throughout a lengthy Russian siege, down accompanied by 10 foreigners, including five British citizens with every one other accompanied by set of two U.S. military veterans, who had fought accompanied by Ukrainian forces. Some of those freed had faced demise sentences inside Russian-occupied areas.\u003c/p>\u003cp>A video on the BBC report website Thursday showed set of two of the released British men, Aiden Aslin with every one other accompanied by Shaun Pinner, speaking inside a flat outside while en way home.\u003c/p>\u003cp>"We fair want to permit everyone know that we're now not here of the danger area with every one other accompanied by we're on our way place of residence to our families," Aslin said inside the video, while Pinner added: "By the skin of our teeth."\u003c/p>\u003cp>The non-profit Presidium Network, which is helping provide assistance to Kyiv, said Aslin, Pinner with every one other accompanied by trio other Britons were safely place of residence with every one other accompanied by reunited accompanied by their families Thursday.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\">\u003c/div>\u003cp>The continuation of Russian missile attacks with every one other accompanied by beginning of a partial mobilization of Russians into the armed forces suggested the Kremlin was seeking to dispel some idea of frailty or waning resolution to attain its wartime aims inside illumination of recent battlefield losses with every one other accompanied by other setbacks that undercut the aura of Russian military might.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Ratcheting up tensions, a older Kremlin official on Thursday repeated Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons if Russian territory comes under attack.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council, said on his messaging app that planned nuclear weapons are one of the options to safeguard Russian-controlled territories inside eastern with every one other accompanied by southern Ukraine. The remark appeared to work for while a warning that Moscow could too mark Ukraine's Western allies.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\">\u003c/div>\u003cp>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded Thursday, calling on every one \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-ukraine-in-spotlight-1341c09080136f1bd24d1deec9e1ed7b\">U.N. Security Council\u003c/a> subscriber to "send a understandable message" to Russia that it must place an extremity to its nuclear threats inside the war inside Ukraine.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Russia's neighbors have been on border concerning a possible threat from Russia. Estonia said training exercises started Thursday for almost 2,900 reservists with every one other accompanied by volunteers, inside an evident work outside to Moscow's announcement of a partial military mobilization.\u003c/p>\u003cp>___\u003c/p>\u003cp>Andrew Katell contributed from New York.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Follow the AP's coverage of the war at \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine\">https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine\u003c/a>\u003c/p>","alertLinkDateTime":null,"storyLayout":{},"reporters":[],"headlinePlacement":null,"relatedStoryEmbeds":[],"disableNativo":false}],"disclaimerText":null,"dividerColor":"#000000","expandedStoryCount":null,"feed":[],"headlineWidget":false,"hubPeekLinkText":null,"hubPeekTagId":null,"hubPeekTagName":null,"hubPeekCanonicalName":null,"hubPeekIsPr":null,"minimizedStoryCount":null,"tagObjs":[{"id":"Russia-Ukraine","name":"Russia-Ukraine war","canonicalName":"russia-ukraine","isPr":false},{"id":"VladimirPutin","name":"Vladimir Putin","canonicalName":"vladimir-putin","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-europe","name":"Europe","canonicalName":"europe","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-topnews","name":"AP Top News","canonicalName":"ap-top-news","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-WorldNews","name":"World News","canonicalName":"world-news","isPr":false},{"id":"Media","name":"Media","canonicalName":"media","isPr":false},{"id":"Socialmedia","name":"Social media","canonicalName":"social-media","isPr":false},{"id":"Campaigns","name":"Campaigns","canonicalName":"campaigns","isPr":false},{"id":"Moscow","name":"Moscow","canonicalName":"moscow","isPr":false},{"id":"Donetsk","name":"Donetsk","canonicalName":"donetsk","isPr":false},{"id":"Governmentandpolitics","name":"Government with every one other accompanied by politics","canonicalName":"government-and-politics","isPr":false}],"textColor":"#000000","layoutType":"null","customLayoutType":"null","styleName":null,"endDateTime":null,"teamLimit":25,"medalCounts":null,"medalsUpdated":null,"olympicYear":null,"notificationUrl":null,"notificationText":null,"notificationTitle":null,"notificationType":null,"notificationUpdated":null,"adUnits":{},"displayPositionHome":null,"displayPositionApp":null,"featuredCard":null,"publishedDate":"2022-09-22 10:48:25","enableTblRegion":false},{"id":"urn:publicid:ap.org:1341c09080136f1bd24d1deec9e1ed7b","shortId":"urn:publicid:ap.org:1341c09080136f1bd24d1deec9e1ed7b","allowAd":true,"borderColor":null,"brackets":null,"bracketsSettings":null,"cardTitle":null,"embedCardTitleColor":null,"cardHeadline":null,"cardType":"Wire Story","collectionTagObjs":null,"contents":[{"id":"urn:publicid:ap.org:1341c09080136f1bd24d1deec9e1ed7b","shortId":"1341c09080136f1bd24d1deec9e1ed7b","bylines":"By MALLIKA SEN","canonicalUrl":"united-nations-general-assembly-ukraine-in-spotlight","contentType":"text","disableConnatix":false,"downloadSettings":{},"embedCaption":null,"embedHeight":null,"embedHTML":null,"embedLinkURL":null,"firstWords":"\u003cp>UNITED NATIONS (AP) — After set of two years of discourse dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, this year's U.N. General Assembly has a new occupant of center stage: the war inside Ukraine.\u003c/p>\u003cp>The pleas made by leaders from around the world for tranquillity were both an altruistic amplification of besieged Ukrainians' plight while well while born from self-interest.\u003c/p>","hasTextOverlay":false,"headline":"At UN, Russia's war inside Ukraine is both text with every one other accompanied by subtext","description":null,"interactiveLinkUrl":null,"interactiveLinkUrlText":null,"language":"en","leadPhotoId":"e6d85d7f8b1c467ab694e0d476507875","leadVideoId":null,"localLinkUrl":"https://apnews.com/1341c09080136f1bd24d1deec9e1ed7b","localMemberName":null,"media":[{"id":"e6d85d7f8b1c467ab694e0d476507875","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the 77th meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)\u003c/p>","order":1,"imageMimeType":"image/jpeg","imageFileExtension":".jpeg","imageRenderedSizes":[3000,2000,1000,800,600,400,200],"aspectRatio":1.4991652754591,"gcsBaseUrl":"https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/e6d85d7f8b1c467ab694e0d476507875/","embedCaption":null,"uploaded":true,"flattenedCaption":"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the 77th meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022 at U.N. headquarters. 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General Assembly has a new occupant of center stage: the war inside Ukraine.The pleas made by ...","isTpContent":false,"socialEmbeds":[],"isPrContent":false,"storyHTML":"\u003cp>UNITED NATIONS (AP) — After set of two years of discourse dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, this year's U.N. General Assembly has a new occupant of center stage: the war inside Ukraine.\u003c/p>\u003cp>The pleas made by leaders from around the world for tranquillity were both an altruistic amplification of besieged Ukrainians' plight while well while born from self-interest. As some speeches made clear, the repercussions of the Russian invasion have been felt flat thousands of miles away.\u003c/p>\u003cp>"It is not fair the dismay that we be in touch at seeing such deliberate devastation of cities with every one other accompanied by towns inside Europe inside the year 2022. We are touch this war straight inside our lives inside Africa," Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said Wednesday. \"Every bullet, every one bomb, every one shell that hits a mark inside Ukraine, hits our pockets with every one other accompanied by our economies inside Africa." \u003c/p>\u003cp>The speeches that elided some straight allude to of to the dispute were few, nevertheless the war resonated flat inside the non-attendance of its straight invocation. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, never permit the words "Ukraine" or "Russia" slip from his lips, nevertheless he made some seemingly pointed allusions. \u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>He opened his remarks by painting a bleak painting of a world catapulted into a "new, increasingly sharp time of geopolitical confrontation" that's engendered "the likelihood of the use of nuclear weapons, with every one other accompanied by not flat while a last resort."\u003c/p>\u003cdiv id='afs:Card:570644633064' class='hub-peek-embed' content-id='1341c09080136f1bd24d1deec9e1ed7b'>Hub peek embed (UnitedNationsGeneralAssembly) - Compressed layout (automatic embed) \u003c/div>\u003cp>Just hours later, Russian President Vladimir Putin — who is not attending the U.N. General Assembly — \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-moscow-nuclear-weapons-d5ad053f4e113c5ebafe26ca37fdb672\">declared that he would not hesitate\u003c/a> to use nuclear weapons to protect his country's territory. \u003c/p>\u003cp>Russia is a answer associate of Kazakhstan, with every one other accompanied by the war inside Ukraine has left-hand the former Soviet country inside an difficult spot. Tokayev performed a similar trip last week \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-pope-francis-china-kazakhstan-a73b592396e8220479588f562bdda031\">during Pope Francis' visit,\u003c/a> refusing to speak straight concerning Ukraine while normally decrying a morbid condition of affairs. \u003c/p>\u003cp>On Tuesday, Tokayev laid not here "three primordial principles: the sovereign equality of states, the territorial integrity of states, with every one other accompanied by tranquil coexistence in the centre of states."\u003c/p>\u003cp>"These trio principles are interdependent. To esteem one is to esteem the other two. To undermine one is to undermine the other two," he said.\u003c/p>\u003cp>The theme of territorial sovereignty resonated inside other speeches, while countries who have faced infringements invoked their own traumas or cited the fate of Ukraine while a fear.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>"We must not exist silent inside Bosnia with every one other accompanied by Herzegovina either. We exist in debt that to our vivid memories of the horrors of war with every one other accompanied by aggression,\" Šefik Džaferović, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-russia-ukraine-sefik-dzaferovic-7bc46db0a6333be81a7b03f8b32047c1\">chair of the presidency of Bosnia with every one other accompanied by Herzegovina,\u003c/a> said Wednesday. "The United Nations system was unable to stop or place an extremity to the war inside my country inside the time in the centre of 1992 with every one other accompanied by 1995. Unfortunately, that happened on one occasion additional accompanied by Ukraine."\u003c/p>\u003cp>Russia has lengthy been accused of trying to destabilize the Balkans anew — including Bosnia with every one other accompanied by Herzegovina. Džaferović's turn at the rostrum came a day following \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-serbia-milorad-dodik-european-union-795a26a1d3b9eaeecf780e9e905cab89\">Putin met accompanied by a Bosnian Serb separatist leader\u003c/a> inside Moscow.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Russian peacekeepers have been stationed inside Transnistria, a breakaway neighbourhood inside Moldova, since the extremity of a separatist war inside 1992. Sandwiched in the centre of description of how the war inside Ukraine — "our neighbor with every one other accompanied by friend" — has affected her country, Moldovan President Maia Sandu called for the "complete with every one other accompanied by unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops" from Transnistria.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>Poland is the Ukrainian associate that has taken inside \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-poland-migration-00b1b341c356c26db266c64e4e2b5541\">the most refugees,\u003c/a> with every one other accompanied by President Andrzej Duda made 34 references to the country inside his speech Tuesday.\u003c/p>\u003cp>"We must not fail to remember those who are suffering,\" Duda said. \"Let us remember that sextet months of Russian aggression inside Ukraine has brought the biggest humanitarian crisis inside Europe since World War II."\u003c/p>\u003cp>But Duda too highlighted how Ukraine has captured the world's observation when numerous other momentous crises external outside of Europe have not. \u003c/p>\u003cp>"Were we equally resolute throughout the tragedies of Syria, Libya, Yemen? Did we not return to work while usual following set of two great tragedies of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the wars inside the Horn of Africa, with every one other accompanied by while condemning the invasion of Ukraine, do we present with identical heaviness to fighting mercenaries who seek to destabilize the Sahel with every one other accompanied by threaten numerous other states inside Africa?" he said.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>On the earliest day alone, Ukraine drew additional than 150 mentions across speeches from leaders, including the U.N. secretary-general. Antonio Guterres \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-russia-ukraine-antonio-guterres-d18728e1fae55b894a3418b248089a49\">opened the General Assembly\u003c/a> by touting Ukraine with every one other accompanied by Russia's deal — accompanied by the assist of Turkey — over cereal shipments while an example of victorious multilateral diplomacy. The war was threaded all over his speech, while he turned to its gloomier yields. \u003c/p>\u003cp>"The fighting has claimed thousands of lives. Millions have been displaced. Billions across the world are affected," he said.\u003c/p>\u003cp>In the lone video address to the General Assembly, for which he was specified exceptional dispensation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-technology-d20eb8efc127cd6bada138fef2889103\">called not here the septet countries\u003c/a> who voted opposed to the allowance: "Seven. Seven who are frightened of the video address. Seven who respond to principles accompanied by a scarlet button. Only seven.\"\u003c/p>\u003cp>None of those septet had yet spoken. But flat if those countries had by some means prevailed, Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová said it was incumbent on other countries to advocate for Ukraine.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>"The democratic world with every one other accompanied by all of us must exist a power of speech of Ukraine. The power of speech that won't exist silent, power of speech that will carry on accompanied by to testify concerning Russia's crimes inside Ukraine," she said Tuesday. "The power of speech that will remember, with every one other accompanied by that will take deed — so no indeed one is at some time allowed to commit such atrocities again."\u003c/p>\u003cp>___\u003c/p>\u003cp>Follow Mallika Sen at \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/mallikavsen\">https://twitter.com/mallikavsen\u003c/a>. For additional AP coverage of the U.N. General Assembly, pay someone a call \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly\">https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly\u003c/a>\u003c/p>","alertLinkDateTime":null,"storyLayout":{},"reporters":[],"headlinePlacement":null,"relatedStoryEmbeds":[],"disableNativo":true}],"disclaimerText":null,"dividerColor":"#000000","expandedStoryCount":null,"feed":[],"headlineWidget":false,"hubPeekLinkText":null,"hubPeekTagId":null,"hubPeekTagName":null,"hubPeekCanonicalName":null,"hubPeekIsPr":null,"minimizedStoryCount":null,"tagObjs":[{"id":"UnitedNationsGeneralAssembly","name":"United Nations General Assembly","canonicalName":"united-nations-general-assembly","isPr":false},{"id":"Russia-Ukraine","name":"Russia-Ukraine war","canonicalName":"russia-ukraine","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-Health","name":"Health","canonicalName":"health","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-europe","name":"Europe","canonicalName":"europe","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-mideast","name":"Middle East","canonicalName":"middle-east","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-africa","name":"Africa","canonicalName":"africa","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-WorldNews","name":"World News","canonicalName":"world-news","isPr":false},{"id":"Coronaviruspandemic","name":"COVID-19","canonicalName":"coronavirus-pandemic","isPr":false},{"id":"UnitedNations","name":"United Nations","canonicalName":"united-nations","isPr":false},{"id":"Governmentandpolitics","name":"Government with every one other accompanied by politics","canonicalName":"government-and-politics","isPr":false}],"textColor":"#000000","layoutType":"null","customLayoutType":"null","styleName":null,"endDateTime":null,"teamLimit":25,"medalCounts":null,"medalsUpdated":null,"olympicYear":null,"notificationUrl":null,"notificationText":null,"notificationTitle":null,"notificationType":null,"notificationUpdated":null,"adUnits":{},"displayPositionHome":null,"displayPositionApp":null,"featuredCard":null,"publishedDate":"2022-09-22 04:05:11","enableTblRegion":false},{"id":"urn:publicid:ap.org:5199a87d9e73caec03e3bc113bdcc1ea","shortId":"urn:publicid:ap.org:5199a87d9e73caec03e3bc113bdcc1ea","allowAd":true,"borderColor":null,"brackets":null,"bracketsSettings":null,"cardTitle":null,"embedCardTitleColor":null,"cardHeadline":null,"cardType":"Wire Story","collectionTagObjs":null,"contents":[{"id":"urn:publicid:ap.org:5199a87d9e73caec03e3bc113bdcc1ea","shortId":"5199a87d9e73caec03e3bc113bdcc1ea","bylines":"By FRANK JORDANS","canonicalUrl":"russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-berlin","contentType":"text","disableConnatix":false,"downloadSettings":{},"embedCaption":null,"embedHeight":null,"embedHTML":null,"embedLinkURL":null,"firstWords":"\u003cp>BERLIN (AP) — In addition to the anthropoid cost of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine\">the war\u003c/a>, Ukraine's efforts to protect itself from Russia are placing a severe monetary burden on the country that it tin only convey accompanied by the assist of external outside support, a top Ukrainian management economist said Thursday.\u003c/p>","hasTextOverlay":false,"headline":"Zelenskyy aide: Ukraine needs funds, expand Russia sanctions","description":null,"interactiveLinkUrl":null,"interactiveLinkUrlText":null,"language":"en","leadPhotoId":"ab693fc156004d8fa1b8042d28224aaa","leadVideoId":null,"localLinkUrl":"https://apnews.com/5199a87d9e73caec03e3bc113bdcc1ea","localMemberName":null,"media":[{"id":"ab693fc156004d8fa1b8042d28224aaa","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>Oleg Ustenko, leader monetary advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, poses for a painting following an meeting accompanied by The Associated Press inside centre Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)\u003c/p>","order":0,"imageMimeType":"image/jpeg","imageFileExtension":".jpeg","imageRenderedSizes":[3000,2000,1000,800,600,400,200],"aspectRatio":1.49990732159407,"gcsBaseUrl":"https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/ab693fc156004d8fa1b8042d28224aaa/","embedCaption":null,"uploaded":true,"flattenedCaption":"Oleg Ustenko, leader monetary advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, poses for a painting following an meeting accompanied by The Associated Press inside centre Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)","updated":"2022-09-22T15:50:19.936502","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Germany Russia Ukraine War Economy","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null}],"audioMedia":[],"mediumIds":["ab693fc156004d8fa1b8042d28224aaa","5e66874db3e34cdb8c2ce0adc554c6bb","98f0cda24e1540ad8c0b5aeac58a0f53","2df538da69cd43a0aefd920eab5709d2"],"mediaCount":4,"published":"2022-09-22 14:20:38","tagObjs":[{"id":"Russia-Ukraine","name":"Russia-Ukraine war","canonicalName":"russia-ukraine","isPr":false},{"id":"VolodymyrZelenskyy","name":"Volodymyr Zelenskyy","canonicalName":"volodymyr-zelenskyy","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-europe","name":"Europe","canonicalName":"europe","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-business","name":"Business","canonicalName":"business","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-WorldNews","name":"World News","canonicalName":"world-news","isPr":false},{"id":"Berlin","name":"Berlin","canonicalName":"berlin","isPr":false},{"id":"Governmentandpolitics","name":"Government with every one other accompanied by politics","canonicalName":"government-and-politics","isPr":false}],"tags":[{"id":"Russia-Ukraine","name":"Russia-Ukraine war","canonicalName":"russia-ukraine","isPr":false},{"id":"VolodymyrZelenskyy","name":"Volodymyr Zelenskyy","canonicalName":"volodymyr-zelenskyy","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-europe","name":"Europe","canonicalName":"europe","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-business","name":"Business","canonicalName":"business","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-WorldNews","name":"World News","canonicalName":"world-news","isPr":false},{"id":"Berlin","name":"Berlin","canonicalName":"berlin","isPr":false},{"id":"Governmentandpolitics","name":"Government with every one other accompanied by politics","canonicalName":"government-and-politics","isPr":false}],"updated":"2022-09-22 15:49:52","tagIds":["Russia-Ukraine","VolodymyrZelenskyy","apf-WorldNews","Berlin","Governmentandpolitics","apf-business","apf-europe","apf-GeneralNews"],"title":"EU--Russia-Ukraine-War-Economy","contentSponsor":null,"layoutType":"Small Photo","stackedStory":true,"notificationId":null,"eyebrow":null,"richEmbeds":[{"id":"afs:Card:246675595414","tag":null,"type":"Hub Peek","calloutText":null,"displayName":null,"leadHubLink":null,"richEmbedDetail":{"data":"https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine","rule":"url","style":"Column List"},"isPermanentlyPlaced":true}],"sponsored":false,"contentBundle":null,"movieTitle":null,"immersiveUrl":null,"embedRatio":null,"embedType":null,"pullQuoteObjs":[],"dateline":null,"leadVideoAutoEmbed":false,"flattenedFirstWords":"BERLIN (AP) — In addition to the anthropoid cost of the war, Ukraine's efforts to protect itself from Russia are placing a severe monetary burden on the country that it tin only convey accompanied by the assist of ou...","isTpContent":false,"socialEmbeds":[],"isPrContent":false,"storyHTML":"\u003cp>BERLIN (AP) — In addition to the anthropoid cost of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine\">the war\u003c/a>, Ukraine's efforts to protect itself from Russia are placing a severe monetary burden on the country that it tin only convey accompanied by the assist of external outside support, a top Ukrainian management economist said Thursday.\u003c/p>\u003cp>The rate of victory, however, will be contingent on inside large small portion on the pressure that Ukraine's allies place on Russia, said Oleg Ustenko, leader monetary advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Ukraine is currently running a monthly fiscal shortfall of 5 billion euros (dollars), compared accompanied by a shortfall of 7 billion euros the country had projected for the whole of 2022 earlier to the war started.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Prewar forecasts of 3-4% monetary grow inside 2022 have too been dashed, with every one other accompanied by gross domestic artefact is expected to shrink by 30-40% this year while factories untruth inside ruins with every one other accompanied by vast tracts of Ukraine's fertile land are inaccessible or excessively dangerous to farm, Ustenko said.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>"The harm to our affluence since of this war is on the flat of 1 trillion euros," he told The Associated Press throughout an meeting inside Berlin. That's five times the country's entire GDP inside 2021, he added.\u003c/p>\u003cp>But while Ukraine is hoping for further monetary assist from its allies, the country too inside desperation wants tougher sanctions imposed on Moscow to compress the Russian war machine, Ustekno said.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv id='afs:Card:246675595414' class='hub-peek-embed' content-id='5199a87d9e73caec03e3bc113bdcc1ea'>Hub peek embed (Russia-Ukraine) - Compressed layout (automatic embed) \u003c/div>\u003cp>"Providing financing for us with every one other accompanied by actually providing us accompanied by ammunition with every one other accompanied by with weapons is extremely important," he said. "But equally important is continuing to build sure that the country which is doing this aggression opposed to us is really gash off from all possible financing."\u003c/p>\u003cp>With contemporaneous vitality prices at a high, Russia was receiving additional every one day from exporting oil, gasoline with every one other accompanied by coal than it's spending on the war, said Ustenko.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Much of that money is coming from Europe, he said. "This is ridiculous."\u003c/p>\u003cp>\"On one hand, we are talking concerning necessity to assist Ukraine financially while well. On the other side, you know, people inside Europe still sending money to Russia.\" \u003c/p>\u003cp>In Berlin to press German politicians to spine tougher sanctions on Moscow, the economist said this included bringing forward the EU's embargo on Russian lubricant currently scheduled to lay clasp of effect on Dec. 5.\u003c/p>\u003cp>On natural gas, Ustenko said \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-ursula-von-der-leyen-european-commission-f62bb32473db8e6b0750ac1c61fa5573\">a proposed cost cap\u003c/a> should build sure that payments are restricted to the cost of production. Several European countries that have relied strongly on Russian gasoline over the years, such while Germany, have by that hour dated been gash off from supplies by Moscow.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>Ustenko said numerous of the businesspeople with every one other accompanied by politicians he had spoke to inside Germany were wary of talking concerning further sanctions, maybe worried concerning the monetary impact at home.\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/technology-elections-italy-543716be1eef0f43a57a2a89d345b3db\">High vitality prices have become an election matter inside Europe\u003c/a> with every one other accompanied by governments have lined up considerable support packages for citizens to fend off fuel penury this winter.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Ustenko said he understood those concerns, nevertheless believes most usual Europeans are prepared to place up accompanied by higher vitality costs to assist Ukraine.\u003c/p>\u003cp>"They really want us to come first in this war while in a short time while possible," he said. "They know why they're paying this price."\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>He urged European politicians to believe concerning how they would justify their actions to voters on one occasion the war, which he confidently predicted Ukraine would win, is over.\u003c/p>\u003cp>"And if you did nothing?" he asked. "Do you really believe that you have a political future while a politician? No way."\u003c/p>\u003cp>___\u003c/p>\u003cp>Follow the AP's coverage of the war at \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine\">https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine\u003c/a>\u003c/p>","alertLinkDateTime":null,"storyLayout":{},"reporters":[],"headlinePlacement":null,"relatedStoryEmbeds":[],"disableNativo":false}],"disclaimerText":null,"dividerColor":"#000000","expandedStoryCount":null,"feed":[],"headlineWidget":false,"hubPeekLinkText":null,"hubPeekTagId":null,"hubPeekTagName":null,"hubPeekCanonicalName":null,"hubPeekIsPr":null,"minimizedStoryCount":null,"tagObjs":[{"id":"Russia-Ukraine","name":"Russia-Ukraine war","canonicalName":"russia-ukraine","isPr":false},{"id":"VolodymyrZelenskyy","name":"Volodymyr Zelenskyy","canonicalName":"volodymyr-zelenskyy","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-europe","name":"Europe","canonicalName":"europe","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-business","name":"Business","canonicalName":"business","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-WorldNews","name":"World News","canonicalName":"world-news","isPr":false},{"id":"Berlin","name":"Berlin","canonicalName":"berlin","isPr":false},{"id":"Governmentandpolitics","name":"Government with every one other accompanied by politics","canonicalName":"government-and-politics","isPr":false}],"textColor":"#000000","layoutType":"null","customLayoutType":"null","styleName":null,"endDateTime":null,"teamLimit":25,"medalCounts":null,"medalsUpdated":null,"olympicYear":null,"notificationUrl":null,"notificationText":null,"notificationTitle":null,"notificationType":null,"notificationUpdated":null,"adUnits":{},"displayPositionHome":null,"displayPositionApp":null,"featuredCard":null,"publishedDate":"2022-09-22 14:20:43","enableTblRegion":false}],"headlineWidget":false,"hubPeekLinkText":null,"hubPeekTagId":"Russia-Ukraine","hubPeekTagName":"Russia-Ukraine war","hubPeekCanonicalName":"russia-ukraine","hubPeekIsPr":false,"minimizedStoryCount":null,"tagObjs":[],"textColor":"#000000","layoutType":"Column List","customLayoutType":null,"styleName":"Compressed","endDateTime":null,"teamLimit":25,"medalCounts":null,"medalsUpdated":null,"olympicYear":null,"notificationUrl":null,"notificationText":null,"notificationTitle":null,"notificationType":null,"notificationUpdated":null,"adUnits":null,"displayPositionHome":null,"displayPositionApp":null,"featuredCard":null,"publishedDate":"2022-09-13 12:39:25","enableTblRegion":false}},"loadedAt":{"afs:Card:246675595414-dfa7e0aa150b2e12bf92ac070ba00879":1663878009361},"expiration":120000},"content":{"loading":{},"error":{},"data":{"urn:publicid:ap.org:dfa7e0aa150b2e12bf92ac070ba00879":{"id":"urn:publicid:ap.org:dfa7e0aa150b2e12bf92ac070ba00879","shortId":"dfa7e0aa150b2e12bf92ac070ba00879","etag":"dfa7e0aa150b2e12bf92ac070ba00879_0a6aza0c0","bylines":"By The Associated Press","contentType":"text","disableConnatix":false,"downloadSettings":{},"embedCaption":null,"embedHeight":null,"embedHTML":null,"embedLinkURL":null,"firstWords":"\u003cp>Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-donetsk-government-and-politics-a126c011a33e9134a95a31b24cea3c7a\">escalation of the almost seven-month war.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>","hasTextOverlay":false,"headline":"EXPLAINER: What's behind referendums inside occupied Ukraine?","description":null,"interactiveLinkUrl":null,"interactiveLinkUrlText":null,"language":"en","leadPhotoId":"5453c045ea1342bc94f06337763fd5bd","leadVideoId":null,"localLinkUrl":"https://apnews.com/dfa7e0aa150b2e12bf92ac070ba00879","localMemberName":null,"media":[{"id":"5453c045ea1342bc94f06337763fd5bd","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - In this likeness taken from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while he addresses the nation inside Moscow, Russia, Sept. 21, 2022. Four occupied regions inside eastern with every one other accompanied by southern Ukraine are place to start voting Friday Sept. 23, 2022, inside referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP, File)\u003c/p>","order":0,"imageMimeType":"image/jpeg","imageFileExtension":".jpeg","imageRenderedSizes":[3000,2000,1000,800,600,400,200],"aspectRatio":1.75690800979363,"gcsBaseUrl":"https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/5453c045ea1342bc94f06337763fd5bd/","embedCaption":null,"uploaded":true,"flattenedCaption":"FILE - In this likeness taken from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while he addresses the nation inside Moscow, Russia, Sept. 21, 2022. Four occupied regions inside eastern with every one other accompanied by southern Ukraine are place to start voting Friday Sept. 23, 2022, inside referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP, File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:00.068578","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"b3b6c2de1fee45e198d42d3fe16b2cb5","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - A Donetsk People's Republic serviceman guards the polling stopping place earlier to a referendum inside Donetsk, Donetsk People's Republic, controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Sept. 22, 2022. Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp escalation of the almost seven-month war. (AP Photo/File)\u003c/p>","order":1,"imageMimeType":"image/jpeg","imageFileExtension":".jpeg","imageRenderedSizes":[3000,2000,1000,800,600,400,200],"aspectRatio":1.50300601202405,"gcsBaseUrl":"https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/b3b6c2de1fee45e198d42d3fe16b2cb5/","embedCaption":null,"uploaded":true,"flattenedCaption":"FILE - A Donetsk People's Republic serviceman guards the polling stopping place earlier to a referendum inside Donetsk, Donetsk People's Republic, controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Sept. 22, 2022. Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp escalation of the almost seven-month war. (AP Photo/File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:00.571518","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"e711d810ef2e4e4cb268fd01c3a6412b","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - A military automobile drives down a road accompanied by a billboard that reads: \"With Russia forever, September 27\", earlier to a referendum inside Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday Sept. 23, 2022 inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp escalation of the almost seven-month war. (AP Photo/File)\u003c/p>","order":2,"imageMimeType":"image/jpeg","imageFileExtension":".jpeg","imageRenderedSizes":[3000,2000,1000,800,600,400,200],"aspectRatio":1.4985014985015,"gcsBaseUrl":"https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/e711d810ef2e4e4cb268fd01c3a6412b/","embedCaption":null,"uploaded":true,"flattenedCaption":"FILE - A military automobile drives down a road accompanied by a billboard that reads: \"With Russia forever, September 27\", earlier to a referendum inside Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday Sept. 23, 2022 inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp escalation of the almost seven-month war. (AP Photo/File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:00.892236","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"e329c5c1c0c6495f8b7cb46dd652ca53","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - A Ukrainian tank drives past a former Russian checkpoint inside the not long ago retaken area of Izium, Ukraine, Sept. 16, 2022. A swift Ukrainian counteroffensive earlier this month that forced Russian troops to retreat from broad swaths of the northeastern Kharkiv neighbourhood has forced the Kremlin to hurry absorbing Russia-held areas inside Ukraine's the orient with every one other accompanied by south. 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(AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:01.425282","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"834f823d30404346a0f4e2df4db5f918","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - A firefighter walks at the scene of a building that was damaged by a deadly Russian missile assault inside Vinnytsia, Ukraine, July 14, 2022. Residents of Moscow-controlled regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday Sept. 23, 2022, on whether to fasten Russia inside Kremlin-engineered referendums that place the phase for a sharp escalation of the almost seven-month war. 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(AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:03.334160","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"bec498608db14e58bf0e3b05c34b19f6","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - Russian rockets launched opposed to Ukraine from Russia's Belgorod neighbourhood are seen at dawn inside Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sept. 21, 2022. During the summer, when the Kremlin hoped for a fast capture of all of the Donbas region, local officials talked concerning organizing the votes inside September. 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(AP Photo/Vadim Belikov, File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:03.878721","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"f929001d0c4444e29d5b16055ed9e557","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - In this photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sept. 19, 2022, members of a exceptional forces component of the Russian armed force aim their weapons inside deed at an unspecified location inside Ukraine. A day following the referendums were announced, Putin on Wednesday Sept. 21, 2022, ordered a partial mobilization of reservists to bolster his forces inside Ukraine. 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(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:04.567200","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"f52b6f72c1a64a24b6cd133a48bafc75","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - In this photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sept. 10, 2022, Russian soldiers prepare to blaze from Msta-B 152.4 mm howitzer from their position at an undisclosed location inside Ukraine. A day following the referendums were announced, Putin on Wednesday Sept. 21, 2022, ordered a partial mobilization of reservists to bolster his forces inside Ukraine. 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(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:05.119636","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"7cda09351c5e4ac3b09e27c3a73bff95","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - People stroll inside a road accompanied by a billboard that reads: \"Our selection - Russia\", earlier to a referendum inside Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Sept. 22, 2022. Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday Sept. 23, 2022, inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp escalation of the almost seven-month war. (AP Photo/File)\u003c/p>","order":11,"imageMimeType":"image/jpeg","imageFileExtension":".jpeg","imageRenderedSizes":[3000,2000,1000,800,600,400,200],"aspectRatio":1.5,"gcsBaseUrl":"https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/7cda09351c5e4ac3b09e27c3a73bff95/","embedCaption":null,"uploaded":true,"flattenedCaption":"FILE - People stroll inside a road accompanied by a billboard that reads: \"Our selection - Russia\", earlier to a referendum inside Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Sept. 22, 2022. Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday Sept. 23, 2022, inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp escalation of the almost seven-month war. (AP Photo/File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:05.775702","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"61a25821f8d14c06a25ac38b6103a7a6","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - In this photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sept. 8, 2022, Russian paratroopers are seen on a task on the Nikolaev-Krivoy Rog way inside Ukraine. During the summer, when the Kremlin hoped for a fast capture of all of the Donbas region, local officials talked concerning organizing the votes inside September. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)\u003c/p>","order":12,"imageMimeType":"image/jpeg","imageFileExtension":".jpeg","imageRenderedSizes":[3000,2000,1000,800,600,400,200],"aspectRatio":1.499700059988,"gcsBaseUrl":"https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/61a25821f8d14c06a25ac38b6103a7a6/","embedCaption":null,"uploaded":true,"flattenedCaption":"FILE - In this photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sept. 8, 2022, Russian paratroopers are seen on a task on the Nikolaev-Krivoy Rog way inside Ukraine. During the summer, when the Kremlin hoped for a fast capture of all of the Donbas region, local officials talked concerning organizing the votes inside September. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:06.282183","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null},{"id":"8c9fc14b74b1461db3649486a4deef58","type":"Photo","caption":"\u003cp>FILE - This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Feb. 19, 2022, shows a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile actuality launched from an air meadow throughout military drills. In Wednesday's address to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled his readiness to use nuclear weapons to retain protected from danger the country's territory _ a blunt warning to Ukraine to place an extremity to pressing its insulting into the Moscow-controlled regions, which are place to exist absorbed by Russia following hastily-called referendums. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File\u003c/p>","order":13,"imageMimeType":"image/jpeg","imageFileExtension":".jpeg","imageRenderedSizes":[3000,2000,1000,800,600,400,200],"aspectRatio":1.73485513608428,"gcsBaseUrl":"https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/8c9fc14b74b1461db3649486a4deef58/","embedCaption":null,"uploaded":true,"flattenedCaption":"FILE - This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Feb. 19, 2022, shows a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile actuality launched from an air meadow throughout military drills. 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(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File","updated":"2022-09-22T19:49:06.754630","alignment":null,"videoMimeType":null,"videoFileExtension":null,"videoRenderedSizes":[],"externalId":null,"audioMimeType":null,"audioFileExtension":null,"title":null,"noEmbedCaption":false,"headline":"Russia Ukraine War Referendum Explainer","jwMediaId":null,"jwVideoStatus":null}],"audioMedia":[],"mediumIds":["5453c045ea1342bc94f06337763fd5bd","b3b6c2de1fee45e198d42d3fe16b2cb5","e711d810ef2e4e4cb268fd01c3a6412b","e329c5c1c0c6495f8b7cb46dd652ca53","834f823d30404346a0f4e2df4db5f918","f01143cd5a0a445fa95c3dcbc66364ea","14aba501b9e9410e87d1a5e327e2b7b5","1e4ed7f7f35749bc8f59fcdf688b6fd3","bec498608db14e58bf0e3b05c34b19f6","f929001d0c4444e29d5b16055ed9e557","f52b6f72c1a64a24b6cd133a48bafc75","7cda09351c5e4ac3b09e27c3a73bff95","61a25821f8d14c06a25ac38b6103a7a6","8c9fc14b74b1461db3649486a4deef58"],"mediaCount":14,"published":"2022-09-22 19:25:19","tagObjs":[{"id":"Russia-Ukraine","name":"Russia-Ukraine war","canonicalName":"russia-ukraine","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-topnews","name":"AP Top News","canonicalName":"ap-top-news","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-WorldNews","name":"World News","canonicalName":"world-news","isPr":false},{"id":"Moscow","name":"Moscow","canonicalName":"moscow","isPr":false},{"id":"Referendums","name":"Referendums","canonicalName":"referendums","isPr":false},{"id":"Crimea","name":"Crimea","canonicalName":"crimea","isPr":false},{"id":"Donetsk","name":"Donetsk","canonicalName":"donetsk","isPr":false}],"updated":"2022-09-22 19:25:07","tagIds":["Russia-Ukraine","apf-topnews","apf-WorldNews","apf-europe","Referendums","Crimea","Donetsk","Moscow","apf-GeneralNews"],"tags":[{"id":"Russia-Ukraine","name":"Russia-Ukraine war","canonicalName":"russia-ukraine","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-europe","name":"Europe","canonicalName":"europe","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-topnews","name":"AP Top News","canonicalName":"ap-top-news","isPr":false},{"id":"apf-WorldNews","name":"World News","canonicalName":"world-news","isPr":false},{"id":"Moscow","name":"Moscow","canonicalName":"moscow","isPr":false},{"id":"Referendums","name":"Referendums","canonicalName":"referendums","isPr":false},{"id":"Crimea","name":"Crimea","canonicalName":"crimea","isPr":false},{"id":"Donetsk","name":"Donetsk","canonicalName":"donetsk","isPr":false}],"title":"EU--Russia-Ukraine-War-Referendum-Explainer","contentSponsor":null,"layoutType":"Small Photo","stackedStory":true,"notificationId":null,"eyebrow":null,"richEmbeds":[{"id":"afs:Card:246675595414","tag":null,"type":"Hub Peek","calloutText":null,"displayName":null,"leadHubLink":null,"richEmbedDetail":{"data":"https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine","rule":"url","style":"Column List"},"isPermanentlyPlaced":true}],"sponsored":false,"isProtected":false,"isBlocked":false,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":null,"contentClaimSchemaType":"Default","contentClaimSchema":{},"seoTitleUpdatedAt":null,"seoDescriptionUpdatedAt":null,"todayInHistory":null,"movieTitle":null,"immersiveUrl":null,"embedRatio":null,"embedType":null,"pullQuoteObjs":[],"dateline":null,"leadVideoAutoEmbed":false,"flattenedFirstWords":"Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp esc...","isTpContent":false,"socialEmbeds":[],"isPrContent":false,"storyHTML":"\u003cp>Four occupied regions inside Ukraine are place to start voting Friday inside Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become small portion of Russia, setting the phase for Moscow to annex the areas inside a sharp \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-donetsk-government-and-politics-a126c011a33e9134a95a31b24cea3c7a\">escalation of the almost seven-month war.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003cp>Ukraine with every one other accompanied by its \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-european-union-9997aa770a949f550e7f638f291f972d\">Western allies have rejected the votes while illegitimate\u003c/a> with every one other accompanied by neither without charge nor fair, saying they will have no indeed binding force.\u003c/p>\u003cp>A look at the referendums with every one other accompanied by their potential implications:\u003c/p>\u003cp>WHY ARE THE REFERENDUMS HAPPENING?\u003c/p>\u003cp>The Kremlin has used this tactic before. In 2014, it held a hastily called referendum inside Ukraine's Crimea neighbourhood that too was denounced by the West while unlawful with every one other accompanied by illegitimate. Moscow used the ballot while a justification to annex the Black Sea peninsula inside a go that was not recognized by most of the world.\u003c/p>\u003cp>On Tuesday, authorities inside the separatist Luhansk with every one other accompanied by Donetsk regions that build up Ukraine's eastern manufacturing heartland known while the Donbas abruptly announced that referendums on joining Russia would exist held starting Friday. Moscow-backed officials inside the Kherson with every one other accompanied by Zaporizhzhia regions inside the south too called votes.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>The moves followed months of conflicting signals from Moscow with every one other accompanied by separatist officials concerning the referendums that reflected the shifts on the battlefield.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv id='afs:Card:246675595414' class='hub-peek-embed' content-id='dfa7e0aa150b2e12bf92ac070ba00879'>Hub peek embed (Russia-Ukraine) - Compressed layout (automatic embed) \u003c/div>\u003cp>During the summer, when the Kremlin hoped for a fast capture of all of the Donbas region, local officials talked concerning organizing the votes inside September.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Russian troops with every one other accompanied by local separatist forces have taken jurisdiction of in effect all of the Luhansk region, nevertheless only concerning 60% of the Donetsk region. The slow step of Russia's insulting inside the the orient with every one other accompanied by the Ukrainian push to reclaim areas inside the Kherson neighbourhood made officials inside Moscow talk concerning delaying the votes until November.\u003c/p>\u003cp>The Kremlin's plans changed on one occasion additional following a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive this month forced Russian troops to retreat from broad swaths of the northeastern Kharkiv neighbourhood with every one other accompanied by raised the likelihood of additional gains by Kyiv's forces.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Observers speak that by moving fast to absorb the captured territories into Russia, the Kremlin hopes to strength Ukraine to halt its counteroffensive with every one other accompanied by receive the contemporaneous areas of occupation or face devastating retaliation.\u003c/p>\u003cp>WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE REGIONS WHERE THE VOTE WILL OCCUR?\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>The 2014 ballot inside Crimea was held under the near watch of Russian troops in a short time following they had overtaken the peninsula, where most residents were pro-Moscow.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Separatists who have controlled large chunks of the Donbas since 2014 have lengthy pushed for joining Russia with every one other accompanied by have shown little tolerance for dissent. When the rebellion erupted there, the separatists fast organized referendums inside which a majority voted to fasten Russia, nevertheless the Kremlin ignored the outcome. \u003c/p>\u003cp>The set of two regions declared their self-government from Ukraine weeks following Crimea's annexation, triggering eight years of fighting that President Vladimir Putin used while a pretext to launch an invasion inside February to retain protected from danger their residents.\u003c/p>\u003cp>In the southern regions, which were occupied by Russian troops inside the opening days of the invasion, anti-Russian sentiments sprint strong. Hundreds of pro-Kyiv activists have been arrested, accompanied by numerous alleging they were tortured. Others were forcibly deported, with every one other accompanied by tens of thousands fled.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>Since Russian forces swept into the Kherson neighbourhood with every one other accompanied by small portion of the Zaporizhzhia region, Moscow-appointed authorities there have gash off Ukrainian TV broadcasts, replacing them accompanied by Russian programming. They have handed not here Russian passports to residents, introduced the ruble with every one other accompanied by flat issued Russian license plates to pave the way for their incorporation into Russia.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Moscow-appointed administrations have go nearer under recurrent attacks by members of Ukrainian resistance movement, which has killed local officials, bombed polling stations with every one other accompanied by other management buildings, with every one other accompanied by helped the Ukrainian military mark answer infrastructure.\u003c/p>\u003cp>WHAT IS BEING SAID ABOUT THE LEGITIMACY OF THE VOTE?\u003c/p>\u003cp>The five-day voting procedure will lay clasp of place inside the non-attendance of self-governing monitors with every one other accompanied by provide ample space for rigging the outcome.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>When the referendums were announced earlier this week, the West straight away questioned their legitimacy. U.S. President Joe Biden with every one other accompanied by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to them while shams, with every one other accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron said they would have "no legal consequences."\u003c/p>\u003cp>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy too called them "noise" to distract the public.\u003c/p>\u003cp>HOW IS RUSSIA'S MILITARY MOBILIZATION RELATED?\u003c/p>\u003cp>A day following the referendums were announced, Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reservists to bolster his forces inside Ukraine, with every one other accompanied by \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-nations-general-assembly-putin-biden-1f07b96623709607c6e720e252516b32\">he too declared he was prepared to use nuclear weapons\u003c/a> to fend off some attacks on Russian territory.\u003c/p>\u003cp>The Defense Ministry said the mobilization — Russia's earliest since World War II — is intended to call up concerning 300,000 reservists accompanied by foregoing military experience. Observers noted, however, that Putin's decree is broad sufficient to permit the military to swell the numbers if needed. Some reports propose the Kremlin's goal is amassing 1 million men, inside a secret small portion of the decree.\u003c/p>\u003cdiv class=\"ad-placeholder\" data='autoembed'>\u003c/div>\u003cp>The Kremlin lengthy has shunned taking such a greatly unpopular move, wary of fomentin discontent with every one other accompanied by eroding Putin's support base. \u003c/p>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-moscow-kharkiv-9e5363cd199fd7f01cba14efa4678e5f\">latest Ukrainian counteroffensive\u003c/a> exposed Russia's inability to jurisdiction the 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) front dash accompanied by its contemporaneous restricted strength of volunteers. Military experts speak it will lay clasp of months to build the newly called-up reservists prepared for combat.\u003c/p>\u003cp>HOW IS PUTIN'S NUCLEAR THREAT RELATED?\u003c/p>\u003cp>As Putin struggles for ways to retain away from new humiliating defeats, he signaled his readiness Wednesday to use nuclear weapons to retain protected from danger the country's territory — a blunt warning to Ukraine to place an extremity to pressing its insulting into the regions now place to become small portion of Russia.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Observers saw Putin's threat while an effective ultimatum to Ukraine with every one other accompanied by its Western backers to turn into ice the dispute or face a potential escalation all the way to a nuclear conflict.\u003c/p>\u003cp>While Russian military doctrine envisages using atomic weapons inside response to a nuclear assault or aggression involving orthodox weapons that "threatens the extremely actuality of the state," Putin's statement further lowered the threshold for their use.\u003c/p>\u003cp>Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council chaired by Putin, amplified the president's threat Thursday, saying that following absorbing the quartet Ukrainian regions, Moscow could use \"any Russian weapons, including planned nuclear weapons" to protect them.\u003c/p>\u003cp>The allude to of planned nuclear forces, which include intercontinental ballistic missiles with every one other accompanied by long-range bombers, sent a warning that Russia could mark not only Ukraine nevertheless too the U.S. with every one other accompanied by its allies accompanied by nuclear weapons inside instance of an escalation.\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-berlin-5199a87d9e73caec03e3bc113bdcc1ea\">Zelenskyy dismissed the nuclear threats while bluster\u003c/a> with every one other accompanied by vowed to without charge all occupied territories.\u003c/p>\u003cp>—-\u003c/p>\u003cp>Follow AP's coverage 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EXPLAINER: What's behind referendums inside occupied Ukraine?