Zaporozhye Region Votes in Favor of Joining Russia, Poll Shows

MELITOPOL (Sputnik) - Some 93% of people in the Zaporozhye region voted in favor of acceding to Russia during the first day of the referendum, according to a poll conducted by the Crimean Republican Institute of Political and Social Studies.

The poll was conducted among 500 citizens on the first day of the referendum on September 23.

On Tuesday, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, along with the Russian-controlled parts of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, said that they would hold referendums on accession to Russia from 23 to 27 September.

On Wednesday morning, in a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia will do everything to ensure security at the forthcoming referendums in Donbass, as well as in other regions which have appealed to Moscow for support.

The DPR and LPR proclaimed their independence from Ukraine in 2014 after holding referendums. In February 2022, Russia recognized the DPR and LPR as independent states and launched a military operation in Ukraine in response to calls for help from the two breakaway republics.