Russia’s proxy in occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast says staged ‘referendum’ postponed indefinitely

Yevgeny Balitsky said on Sept. 12 that the “referendum” on joining Russia will be postponed due to what he claimed to be safety concerns amid Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south. Explosions at Russian military bases continue to be reported in the region, including a recent incident in occupied Melitopol which was reported by the city’s exiled mayor Ivan Federov on Sept. 12.