
Russian-appointed deputy governor of Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, told the TASS news agency on September 5:
"We have prepared for the voting, and we wanted to hold the referendum in the nearest future, but due to the developments happening at the moment, I think we will pause [with the referendum]."Kherson, an important port city on the Black Sea, has been fully under Russian control since early March, just weeks after Moscow launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
In late August, Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the south, and particularly in the Kherson region. Kyiv claims to have taken back some territory and heavy fighting continues.
Stremousov, who said earlier in June that Kherson was now "a full-fledged" part of Russia and a referendum on joining Russia would be held in early September, said recent statements by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk will not disrupt any possible referendum.












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