Russia Conducts Polls in Occupied Ukraine to Tighten Hold

Russia is conducting local elections in occupied parts of Ukraine this weekend. It is seen as an effort of Moscow to tighten its hold on territories it took over a year ago.

The voting for Russian-installed legislatures in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions begins Friday and concludes Sunday.

Voters are supposed to elect regional legislatures, which in turn will appoint regional governors. In the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, thousands of candidates are also competing for seats on dozens of local councils.

The Ukraine government and the West denounced this move by Russia. Lawmakers of Ukraine urged other countries not to recognize the results of the vote. Ukraine and the West denounced them as a sham and decried the annexation as illegal.