Russia Mobilizes Troops And Prepares "Sham" Referendums In Occupied Ukraine

Four eastern Ukrainian regions under Russian occupation are set to hold rushed referendums to join the Russian Federation amid continued fighting. Luhansk, Donetsk, Cherson, and Zaporizhia are all scheduled to hold referendums at the end of this week. The four areas combined represent some 15 percent of the total territory of Ukraine. Western leaders and Kyiv condemned the referendums, with Ukrainian government sources calling them a sham. "The Russians can do whatever they want. It will not change anything," said Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba,…