Kyiv: Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has accused Russia of attempting to “falsify” an independence referendum in the partially occupied southern districts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

For the second time this week, Zelensky has issued an appeal to Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territories.

“This is not to help you… This is aimed to falsify the so-called referendum on your land, if an order comes from Moscow to stage such a show,” the Ukrainian leader said.

“This is the reality. Be careful.”

Ukrainian authorities accused Moscow of plotting a similar vote to the 2014 Crimea referendum, in which an overwhelming majority of voters chose to join the Russian Federation, in Kherson early in March.

The Ukrainian government and the West both denounced this referendum as unlawful because it occurred after Russia had taken control of the region.

Donetsk and Lugansk, two pro-Russian regions in eastern Ukraine, also declared their independence following referendums that the international community deemed invalid.

“Any ‘Kherson People’s Republics’ are not going to fly,” Zelensky warned. “If someone wants a new annexation, it can only lead to new powerful sanctions strikes on Russia.”

After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Kherson was the first major Ukrainian city to fall to Russian forces.

Russian forces also have control of a large territory north of Zaporizhzhia, which is still under Ukrainian authority.

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