UN chief criticizes Russian poll in occupied Ukrainian territories

UN Secretary General António Guterres has criticized Russia for allowing voting in occupied Ukrainian territory in the ongoing Russian presidential election.

"The secretary general condemns the efforts of the Russian Federation to hold its presidential elections in areas of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation," his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in New York on Friday.

"He recalls that the attempted illegal annexation of regions of Ukraine has no validity under international law."

"The United Nations remains steadfastly committed to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, as per the relevant General Assembly resolutions," the spokesman added.

Three days of voting opened in Russia on Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin is running for re-election in a vote that is considered a foregone conclusion.

According to Russian figures, 4.5 million people are called to vote in the occupied parts of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson.

Voting will also take place on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

Ukraine has protested against the votes held in violation of international law and called on the world not to recognize the results of the election.