Provided by Associated Press 

People hold Ukrainian flags and a

banner that reads: "Kherson is Ukraine", during a rally against Russian
occupation in Svobody (Freedom) Square in Kherson, Ukraine,
Saturday, March 5, 2022. Ever since Russian forces took the southern
Ukrainian city of Kherson in early March, residents sensed the
occupiers had a special plan for their town. Now, amid a crescendo of
warnings from Ukraine that Russia plans to stage a sham referendum
to transform the territory into a pro-Moscow "people's republic," it
appears locals guessed right. (AP Photo/Olexandr Chornyi)

Residents believe Russian troops have not yet besieged or terrorized

the city — as they did in Bucha and Mariupol — because they are
planning to hold a referendum to create a so-called “People's Republic
of Kherson” like the pro-Russia breakaway territories in eastern
Ukraine. Ballots are already being printed for a vote to be held by early
May, Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova warned
this month.

In an address to the nation on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

spoke directly to residents of occupied Kherson, accusing Russia of
planning an orchestrated referendum and urging residents to be
careful about personal data they share with Russian soldiers, warning
there could be attempts to falsify votes. “This is a reality. Be careful,”
he said.