Denis Pushilin, the head of the self-described Donetsk People’s Republic, says they will hold a referendum to formally join Russia following their “complete liberation” from Kyiv, British military intelligence officials said, citing Russian media reports.
Their strategy includes ensuring that at least 70% of the population of Donetsk votes in favor of joining Russia, British military officials tweeted Monday.
“It is likely that Russia is in the advanced planning stages to hold a referendum, though it is unclear if the final decision to go ahead with a vote has yet been taken,” British military officials said.
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Ukraine has managed to confound Moscow’s plans in the Donbas, however, with precision strikes against crucial logistics and command-and-control positions made possible by weapons such as the U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
“The Kremlin will likely see the military’s failure to occupy the entirety of Donetsk Oblast thus far as a setback for its maximalist objectives in Ukraine,” British defense officials tweeted.
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