Ukraine annexation votes to end amid Russian mobilisation exodus

Russia counts millions of former conscripts as official reservists. The authorities have not spelled out precisely who is due to be called up, as that part of President Vladimir Putin’s order is classified.

The mobilisation has also seen the first sustained criticism of the authorities within state-controlled media since the war began.

But Sergei Tsekov, a senior lawmaker who represents Russian-annexed Crimea in Russia’s upper house of parliament, told RIA news agency: “Everyone who is of conscription age should be banned from travelling abroad in the current situation.”

Two exiled news sites – Meduza and Novaya Gazeta Europe – both reported that the authorities were planning to ban men from leaving, citing unidentified officials.

Moscow says it wants to rid Ukraine of nationalists and protect Russian-speaking communities. Kyiv and the West describe Russia’s actions as an unprovoked war of aggression.

Late on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the military situation in Donetsk as “particularly severe”.

“We are doing everything to contain enemy activity. This is our No. 1 goal right now because Donbas is still the No. 1 goal for the occupiers,” he said, referring to the wider region that encompasses Donetsk and Luhansk.

Russia carried out at least five attacks on targets in the Odesa region using Iranian drones in the last few days, according to the regional administration.

Ukraine’s air force said it destroyed four Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drones. Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.

More US funding looks to be on the way as negotiators of a stop-gap spending Bill in Congress have agreed to include nearly US$12 billion in new military and economic aid to Ukraine, according to sources.

ANNEXATION

Last week, in what appeared to be choreographed requests, Russian-backed officials there and in other areas that together equal roughly the size of Portugal lined up to request referendums on joining Russia.

The self-styled Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, which Putin recognised as independent just before the invasion, and Russian-installed officials in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions asked for votes.

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