On the basis of security, the Russian occupation authorities in Kherson, a strategically important city in southern Ukraine, have postponed a referendum on annexation.
The security situation, according to Kirill Stremousov, deputy leader of the Russian-appointed government there, is the reason for the postponement.
The long-awaited counteroffensive by the Ukrainian army has begun in the south, where Russia intends to hold referendums in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces.
A significant Kherson bridge has received shelling.
Speaking on Russian state television, Mr. Stremousov claimed that Ukrainian shelling had severely damaged the Antonovskiy Bridge, rendering it impassable to cars.
Following its soldiers’ seizure of the peninsula in 2014, Russia has announced plans for referendums in conquered area that will be identical to those held in Crimea.
The referendum plans have been criticized as being illegal by Ukraine and its Western allies.
Iryna Vereshchuk, deputy prime minister of Ukraine, has pleaded with residents to flee Kherson as conflict rages nearby.
She has additionally stated that everyone who takes part in the upcoming Russian vote risks being prosecuted by Ukraine.
