Regional elections began in Russian-occupied began parts of Ukraine Thursday as authorities seek to cement Moscow's control of what it calls its "new territories."
The voting, which runs until Sept. 10, is being held in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, four Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia since its full-scale invasion.
A Ukrainian official described the polling as a "sham."
British defense company BAE Systems is establishing a local entity in Ukraine and has penned deals with its government to help ramp up supplies of weapons and equipment.
Elsewhere, a Ukrainian drone attacked a town in western Russia, close to one of the country's biggest nuclear power stations, a Russian official said Friday.
Organizations:
BAE Systems
Locations:
Russian, Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Russia, Ukrainian