Five countries condemn sham elections in occupied Ukrainian regions

Five countries condemned "sham elections" held by Russia in occupied Ukrainian regions as a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and the UN Charter. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK issued a joint statement. The statement said the elections in Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia were a gross violation of international law. The countries described the votes as part of a broader occupation system imposing Russian governance, law, and citizenship through coercion. The nations reaffirmed that the regions remain part of Ukraine and that the elections do not change their legal status. The vote for Russia's State Duma took place from Friday to Sunday.