OREANDA-NEWS Referendums to join the Russian Federation will be held in the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LPR and DPR) from September 23 to 27, the leaders of the Donbass republics announced on Tuesday.

LPR head Leonid Pasechnik was the first to sign a law on “holding a public referendum in the republic on the inclusion of the region into the Russian Federation,” after its parliament unanimously supported the move and set a date for the vote.

The LPR’s decision was soon followed by DPR leader Denis Pushilin, who declared that his republic would also be holding a similar referendum on the same date. Pushilin said he had already introduced the relevant legislation in the DPR parliament.