Dual rule in Cherson seems to be over.

Although the city in southern Ukraine was taken by Russian troops at the beginning of March, its mayor Ihor Kolychayev remained in office until the beginning of this week City Hall let the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag fly.

Now the Russian military has officially installed a new leadership for the city and the region.

One of their first steps was the announcement on Thursday that the Russian ruble would be official tender in the Kherson region from May 1 – the Ukrainian hryvnia would only be accepted for a transitional period of four months.

Reinhard Veser

Editor in Politics.

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However, it remains unclear what will happen next in the area.

The Russian exile medium "Meduza", citing sources in the Kremlin, reported that a referendum on the establishment of a "People's Republic of Cherson" should be held in mid-May.

At the same time, the two "people's republics" created eight years ago, Donetsk and Luhansk, should vote on joining Russia.

The leaders of both regions had already announced such referendums for the post-war period in March.

The first weekend after the symbolically important "Victory Day" for Russia on May 9th, the anniversary of the German surrender in World War II, would be conceivable.

In the West, fed by news from Russia, it is assumed that President Vladimir Putin wants to announce a success on this date.

There have been several rumors in Kherson that the staging of a vote on the founding of a “people's republic” is imminent.

Most recently, the Ukrainian leadership named April 27 as a possible date for a referendum.

According to the Meduza report, such a plan actually existed in the Kremlin, but the date was pushed back several times due to the failures of the Russian military.

It could happen again for the same reason, Kremlin sources said, according to Meduza.

However, a representative of the administration set up by the occupiers denied such plans to the Russian news agency Ria Novosti: Rumors about the founding of a "People's Republic of Cherson" were being spread by Ukraine in order to "scare" the population.

However, his statements were contradictory.

Because he categorically ruled out a return of Cherson to “Nazi Ukraine”.

The Kherson region will become a "prosperous country" in which there is no longer any place for the Ukrainian policy of "killing people".

He did not explain why this prospect should frighten the people of Cherson.

In an interview with the Ukrainian portal "Novoye Vremya", the former mayor of Cherson, Kolychayev, also said that he saw no preparations for a referendum.

He suspects that the area should be connected to Crimea, that is, annexed by Russia.

The report by "Meduza" speaks of fears in the Kremlin that the residents of the occupied territories will "shoot" the new rulers in the back.

The Ukrainian administrations, which are still functioning in many places, have a great influence on the people.

Open resistance against the Russian troops is still stirring in the Cherson region.

According to Ukrainian media, around 200 people with Ukrainian flags demonstrated in Cherson on Wednesday.

However, they were violently dispersed after a few minutes.

Because of this tough approach, the protests are no longer as large and frequent as they were a few weeks ago, when thousands of people took to the streets.

In addition, the Russians apparently systematically search for participants after demonstrations in order to intimidate them.

According to the Ukrainian authorities, several hundred pro-Ukrainian activists have disappeared in the Cherson region.

According to Mayor Kolychayev, around 220 people were arrested in Cherson alone, of whom only thirty were released.

He said,