moscow russias former president said on tuesday that if ukraines breakaway regions vote to join russia it would allow moscow to utilise its full military capability in the donbas regiondmitry medvedev who is also a former prime minister said that ballots in the socalled donetsk and lugansk republics to integrate into russia would help protect residents of the east ukraine region by expanding moscows military mandateencroachment into russian territory is a crime and if it is committed that allows you to use all possible force in selfdefence medvedev the deputy chairman of russias security council said on social mediamedvedev said the votes would correct historical justice and be irreversiblethat is why these referendums are so feared in kyiv and in the west that is why they need to be carried out he addedlarge parts of the industrial donbas area have been controlled by moscowbacked separatists since 2014 after nationwide demonstrations ousted ukraines kremlinfriendly presidentrussia at the time annexed the crimean peninsula from ukraine with a vote that was criticised by kyiv and the west which imposed sanctions in responsethe leader of the donetsk rebel group denis pushilin said on tuesday that a vote on joining russia was overduei think that people have long been waiting for a referendum here and it will probably be a political move that will help ensure the safety of civilians russian news agencies quoted him telling state televisionpushilin said he had been in touch with the leader of the lugansk rebels to coordinate and that since monday officials of the separatist administration had begun working out detailsofficials in the russiancontrolled region of kherson in southern ukraine on tuesday also urged moscowinstalled authorities to hold a vote on joining russia