Shift to ruble in Kherson fuels concerns about Russia's aims in occupied region
Civilians in Russian-controlled Kherson are facing an Internet blackout and a plan to use Russian currency — in possible signs that Moscow intends to exert long-lasting influence over the region in southern Ukraine.
As Russian officials announced that the transition to Russian currency for the Kherson region would begin May 1, an intelligence update released by Britain’s Defense Ministry said Russia was trying to legitimize “its control of the city and surrounding areas through installing a pro-Russian administration.”
Taken together, the moves “are likely indicative of Russian intent to exert strong political and economic influence in Kherson over the long term,” Britain’s Defense Ministry said. It added that enduring control over the territory would provide security for Russia’s grip on Crimea and allow its forces to sustain advances in the north and west.
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Speaking to Russian state television, Kirill Stremousov, a pro-Moscow politician installed after the city fell, said there would be a four-to-five-month transition away from the Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia, which has been in use since 1996. Ukraine’s currency was expected to circulate alongside the ruble for those months.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/shift-to-ruble-in-kherson-fuels-concerns-about-russias-aims-in-occupied-region/ar-AAWNXCk