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Janus Putkonen

Versions of names: Янус Путконен
Finland

Janus Putkonen is a Finnish journalist. He founded the so-called DONi-News media company disseminating disinformation and propaganda from Donetsk.

Putkonen moved to Donetsk in summer 2015. Currently he is in Lugansk. He is the chief editor of the Uusi MV-Lehti - a Finnish online news website.

Missions

Individual observers at the 2018 general elections in the unrecognised Lugansk People’s Republic

No affiliation

Institutional affiliation to the DONi International Press Center

I saw no irregularities.

The turnout is high, a lot of people came. The atmosphere is very friendly, nice, well-organized.

Read more about this mission here:
Individual Observers at the 2022 pseudo-referendum for the formal annexation of occupied territories of Luhansk to Russia

No affiliation

Institutional affiliation to Uusi MV-Lehti

The key point here is that Russia is asking residents a question; it is important for it to know what people think. When the West expanded to the borders of your country, it did not ask anyone’s opinion on this matter at referendums. But Russia wants to hear people, it complies with the UN charter and democratic moral rules. [Translated from Russian]

Corresponding elections

Presidential Election Unrecognized Lugansk People's Republic 2018
illegitimate
On 11 November 2018, the so-called Lugansk People’s Republic, located within the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine, held “elections” to elect a head of the “republic” and members of its “parliament”. The overwhelming majority of the world’s nations does not recognise the sovereignty of the Lugansk People’s Republic, while international institutions such as the OSCE ODIHR considered “elections” there as illegitimate and did not send international election observers there.
Referendum Election Ukraine Occupied territories 2022
illegitimate
From 23 to 27 September 2022, the Russian forces organised a sham election process - pseudo-referendum as a pretext for the formal annexation of the regions of occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson by Russia. The annexation of the four regions was announced on 30 September 2022.