Recently, what Russia called “referendums” were held in four regions of Ukraine, but these votes were described by independent observers as faked sham votes. Soldiers with guns have been walking around forcing people to vote. But despite the polls being completely illegitimate, Russian President Vladimir Putin has used the results to claim that the people in these areas now want to belong to Russia instead of Ukraine. In a speech in Red Square recently, Putin said that these parts of Ukraine should now be seen as Russian territory and should be defended as if they were Russia. Human rights groups have described how the Russian occupation forces imprisoned, tortured and killed people in these areas. Although Putin’s actions have been condemned by a number of leaders around the world, the Russian president seems determined to carry out his plan. But even though Russia claims to have the right to the four parts, Putin’s forces today only control parts of the area. Fierce fighting is raging on several front lines and in recent weeks Ukraine has recaptured a number of villages and towns in these very occupied areas.
The resistance to Putin’s occupation
At the same time that Russia is trying to maintain control over occupied land with military force, Ukrainian partisans are carrying out attacks inside Russian-controlled areas, far behind the front lines. The partisans detonate explosive charges at strategic targets and provide crucial information that allows Ukrainian forces to attack Russian positions.
Hear how the Russian occupying power falters as Ukraine continues to resist.
Cast: Maria Persson LรถfgrenRussia Correspondent, Gudrun Perssonresearch leader Total Defense Research Institute, Jakob HedenskogForeign Policy Institute
Program manager: Fredrik Wadstrรถm
Producer: Katja Magnusson
Technicians: Joar Jonsson, Torbjรถrn Andersson
Source: ICELAND NEWS