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Ukraine war: 'This referendum is illegal'

There have been four self-styled referendums run by Russia in occupied areas of Ukraine. Experts say it will allow Russia to claim - illegally - four occupied or partially-occupied regions of Ukraine as their own.

Ukrainians report armed soldiers going door-to-door with weapons to "force people to vote." They also fear that taking part in the vote could lead to men being called up to fight for Russia.

Three Ukrainians describe their experiences of the self-styled referendums and what they think will happen next.

"Russia will try to annex my home...I feel afraid because this absolutely will mean escalation, more death...some people who I know can be drafted into the Russian army."

(Photo: People voting in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, 24 September 2022. Credit: RINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

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Duration:

6 minutes