Zelensky sanctions more than 40 people involved in elections in Russian-occupied Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on 44 individuals who took part in elections for Russia's State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in occupied Ukrainian territories, the Presidential Office reported on Sept. 26.

Russia held its State Duma elections from Sept. 18 to 20, while voting in occupied Ukrainian territories began in late August. Eleven electoral districts were established in the occupied territories.

By signing the decree, Zelensky enacted a decision by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. The sanctions package includes 44 individuals "who act in Russia's interests and facilitate the occupation of parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, as well as Crimea and Sevastopol," the statement said.

Some of those sanctioned had previously been "elected" to so-called local councils established by Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine's occupied territories. Others include alleged collaborators and individuals accused of aiding Russia's occupation.

Among those sanctioned are Russian propagandist and collaborator Irina Kuksenkova and former Ukrainian lawmaker Yurii Onyshchuk, who began cooperating with Russian authorities after Russian forces occupied Melitopol.

The Russian State Duma elections were the first elections for Russia's lower house of parliament to be held in the occupied Ukrainian territories after Russia had issued Russian passports en masse to Ukrainians there, requiring them to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship.

However, they were not the first Russian-organized votes held in the occupied territories.

In September 2022, Russian occupation authorities held sham referendums in the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.

Russia organized so-called regional elections in the occupied territories in 2023 and held presidential elections there in 2024, in which Vladimir Putin was again declared the winner.

Ukrainian Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk said that international humanitarian law, including the Hague Regulations and the Geneva Convention, requires an occupying power to respect the laws in force in the occupied territory.

"Occupation does not confer any sovereignty. The U.N. General Assembly has repeatedly reaffirmed Ukraine's territorial integrity, including in 2014 regarding Crimea and in 2022, when 143 countries condemned Russia's attempted illegal annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts and declared it invalid," Vlasiuk said.

"Neither 'elections,' 'referendums,' nor 'electoral districts' change that status," Vlasiuk added.

United Russia, the ruling party, won more than 57% of the vote, while voter turnout stood at 59%, according to Russian authorities.

Yabloko, the only party to openly oppose Russia's war against Ukraine, was barred from the elections following a ruling by Russia's Supreme Court. The court acted on a lawsuit filed by the Rodina party, which accused Yabloko of extremism and copyright violations.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was also not allowed to send an independent mission to monitor the vote.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the vote a "farce" and said Kyiv would not recognize its results. The EU, the U.K., Switzerland, Norway, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand also condemned the so-called elections.