A volunteer of Luhansk regional election commission, right, distributes newspapers to local citizens prior to a referendum in Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Authorities in Russian-controlled regions in eastern and southern Ukraine are preparing to hold referendums on becoming part of Russia's a move that could allow Moscow to escalate the war. The votes start Friday in the Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. Writing on newspaper reads in Russian "27.09 Yes." (AP Photo)