On September 23, referendums on joining Russia began in the “DPR” and “LPR,” as well as in the Russian-controlled Kherson region and part of the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine. The head of the German Foreign Ministry, Annalena Bärbock, said after the G7 ministerial meeting in New York that the G7 countries do not recognize referendums in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Ex-commander of the Azov regiment Maxim Zhorin, released from Russian captivity, said that all captured Ukrainians were tortured by starvation, beaten, and not allowed to sleep. Almost all those released need serious medical and psychological assistance.
In Vladikavkaz, travel was restricted at checkpoints towards the Georgian border due to the large number of people wishing to leave the country. A multi-kilometer traffic jam has accumulated in front of the border checkpoint in Upper Lars.