Warsaw declares illegality of holding Russia's elections in occupied Crimea

KYIV. Sept 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland announced the illegality of the Russian parliamentary elections in occupied Crimea, and also condemned the massive provision of Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens and the organization of electronic voting in Donbas.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers it illegal to hold ‘elections’ on the Crimean peninsula, illegally occupied by Russia. The ministry also condemns the massive provision of Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens and the organization of electronic voting in Donbas. The Republic of Poland reaffirms its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the website of the Polish Embassy in Ukraine.

The Polish Foreign Ministry also reiterated its regret over the fact that the Russian authorities prevented the organization of the OSCE Mission.

"Such actions cast doubt on the intentions of Russia to uphold democratic values ​​and are an unjustified attempt to undermine generally accepted standards," the embassy said in the statement.

The Polish Foreign Ministry said "the consistent, systematic campaign of the Russian government, directed against the civil society of Russia, the opposition and free media, made it difficult to access independent information, made it impossible for opposition representatives to nominate candidates, and also seriously complicate the choice of Russians in accordance with their preferences."

"This situation may raise doubts about the legitimacy of the new deputies," the embassy said in the statement.