Twitter thread on the referendums.
The Eurasianist
Russ_Warrior
Referendums in Donetsk, Lugansk and Kherson on joining the Russian Federation are a mobilization in disguise, or how to launch a partial mobilization without actually doing it officially.
Why? Simple, because Russian reservists/conscripts can be deployed to territories in the former Ukraine without the need to change the definition of the SMO, its scope, or transforming it into a real war.
This means the professional Russian Army, Donbass People's Militias, Wagner PMCs and Chechens can stay permanently on the frontline without caring about what happens in the rear.
The inclusion of Lugansk, Donetsk and Kherson into the Russian Federation could lead to an expasion of Russian military presence on former Ukrainian territory to 350k soldiers without mobilization, the added 200k would be on duty as if they were on the rest of Russian territory.