Last week, a Russian politician predicted the exact results of a jerry-rigged referendum for self-rule that took place in the eastern Ukraine region of Donetsk on Sunday.
Last week Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) released an intercepted phone call between O. Barkashov — the leader of a neo-Nazipolitical party and paramilitary organization based in Russia— and one of the leaders in the so-called People's Republic of Donetsk.
The rebel, whose name is Dmytro Boitsov, talks about incoming Ukrainian military forces and says the May 11 referendum can't be held unless Russia brings troops.
"We can't conduct it lawfully as long as these c---------s are here," Boitsov says, adding that they are not prepared.
Barkashov replies that "there is no way you can cancel it" and tells him to falsify the results.
"Write something like 99% down … well, not 99% … Let's say 89% voted for the Donetsk Republic. And that's it, f----n shit!"
On Sunday, the head of the separatist election commission of Donetsk told Reuters89% of voters chose self-rule of Donetsk. And that's it.
The coincidence bolsters the argument the taped conversation is authentic and Russia is helping separatists stage phony referendums to chip off pieces of Ukraine.
Donetsk Republic’s self-described "people’s governor" Pavel Gubarev is actually a former member of Russian National Unity, the neo-Nazi paramilitary group.
And in the phone call, Barkashov mentions he wrote a letter to Vladimir Putin. The Russian president said the referendum should be postponed, but the former KGB colonel is known to deceive. Furthermore, there is little chance the separatists would act without Putin's good graces.
Mike Giglio of Buzzfeed, who has been reporting from Ukraine, explained it best:
I'm pretty sure Donetsk separatists wouldn't be pushing ahead with their referendum if they didn't think Russia was on board with the idea
— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) May 8, 2014Donetsk referendum leaders were clear yesterday that they couldn't go against Russia's wishes on this. Need its political + economic support
— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) May 8, 2014Here's the tape:
SEE ALSO: Putin's Ukraine Fiction Is Falling Apart