Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Ukraine Says Russian Elections in Occupied Areas Are Illegal
Russia is getting ready to hold elections in parts of Ukraine that its army took over.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says those elections are against the rules and do not count.
It said any vote Russia organizes on Ukrainian land is illegal.
It also said the results of such a vote would be like they never happened.
Some people from countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union came to watch the voting.
Ukraine said those watchers do not make the election legal or fair.
Russia took over four areas of Ukraine in 2022 after holding votes that Western countries did not accept.
The party that supports Russia's president is expected to win most of the seats.
Meanwhile, the leader of the only Russian party that speaks against the war said he will stay and keep trying to make changes, even though his party was kept out of the election.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said Russian parliament elections scheduled for next month in occupied areas of Ukraine would be invalid because the polls are illegal.
The ministry said any vote organized by Russia on Ukraine's sovereign territory is illegal and its results are null and void with no legal consequences.
The statement coincided with the start of an observer mission from ex-Soviet states to assess whether the election procedures met accepted standards of being free and fair.
Ukraine accused Russia of using the international observers to try to legitimize the outcome in temporarily occupied territories.
United Russia, backed by President Vladimir Putin, and other broadly pro-Kremlin parties are almost certain to retain their dominance of parliament after September's vote.
- Who
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, which declared the polls illegal; Russian authorities organizing the elections; observers from ex-Soviet states monitoring them
- What
- Ukraine declared that Russian parliament elections in its occupied territories are illegal and their results would be null and void
- When
- The statement was made on Thursday, August 13; the Russian elections are due next month in September
- Where
- Occupied areas of Ukraine, part of four regions Russia annexed in 2022
- Why
- Because the votes are held on what Ukraine considers its sovereign territory and are therefore illegal
Ukraine
Russia and pro-Kremlin authorities
Legality of the elections
Ukraine
Elections held by Russia on occupied Ukrainian territory are illegal, and their results are null and void with no legal consequences.
Russia and pro-Kremlin authorities
Russia is proceeding with the elections in the occupied regions and arranged for international observers to monitor the process as a normal vote.
Role of international observers
Ukraine
The presence of observers does not make the vote legal; Russia is using them to try to legitimize the outcome.
Russia and pro-Kremlin authorities
Observers from ex-Soviet states began a mission to watch the election process and assess whether it met accepted standards of being free and fair.
- Declaring body
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry
- Election
- Russian parliament elections in occupied areas of Ukraine, scheduled for September
- Ukraine's stance
- Polls are illegal; results are 'null and void' with no legal consequences
- Statement date
- Thursday, August 13
- Background
- Russia annexed four Ukrainian regions in 2022 after referendums denounced by Western countries
- Observer mission
- Observers from ex-Soviet states assessing whether procedures met accepted free and fair standards
- Expected outcome
- United Russia Party and other pro-Kremlin parties expected to retain dominance
- Excluded party
- Yabloko, Russia's only registered party opposing the war, was excluded from the election this week; its leader plans to stay in Russia