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Ukrainian Drone Strike Kills Russian Collaborator in Sham Referendum Region, Reports Say
Developing
In Short: Ukrainian officials claim a collaborator involved in Russia's fake referendums was killed in a drone strike, as Belarus reactivates equipment aiding Russian drones in Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials have claimed that a Russian collaborator involved in the sham referendums in occupied territories was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike, according to reports. The collaborator, identified as Elena Astanina, was reportedly killed on September 15 in the village of Zhovtneve in the Russian-occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Russian state-controlled media outlet TASS reported the claim, linking Astanina to the 'chairperson of Precinct Electoral Commission No. 394,' a body established by the Kremlin in the occupied city of Tokmak.
Belarus has reportedly reactivated signal relays that help Russian attack drones penetrate deeper into Ukraine, including the western regions bordering Poland, according to Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service. The equipment amplifies signals for Russian Shahed and Gerbera drones, allowing them to fly farther into Ukrainian territory after entering from Russia, according to Border Guard spokesperson Andriy Demchenko.
Ukrainian officials have previously stated that Russian drones flying along the Belarusian border have used relay equipment on Belarusian territory to maintain their signals. The Ukrainian Border Guard Service said there is currently no evidence of a Russian or Belarusian strike force building up near Ukraine’s border that would indicate preparations for a ground invasion. The latest claim comes after a series of Russian drone attacks reaching western Ukraine, including a strike on a gas station near the Yahodyn border crossing with Poland on September 15.
Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, adopted a resolution on September 17 calling on foreign parliaments and governments, international organizations, and parliamentary assemblies to condemn Russia's plans to hold State Duma elections in the occupied territories. Ukraine had not commented on the reported strike on Zhovtneve at the time of publication.
What's still developing
- According to TASS, Astanina "had worked in the electoral system since 2022" and was involved in organizing Russia's sham " referendums " in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, whose results were rejected by Ukraine and the vast majority of the international community.
- "Despite the extraordinary complexity of its subject matter, ("Traces") employs a delicate and compelling cinematic language that does not alienate the viewer, but instead allows them to draw closer to the protagonists, hear them, and empathize with them," the Ukrainian Oscar Committee said.
Sources
- Kyivindependentlink