Referendum already took place, in 1991. Even after 70 years of literal genocide and massive ethnic replacement (millions of people sent from Russia to replace the dead), as well as Russification (including Russian being of course the official Soviet language), most people in every single oblast decided to live in the independent Ukraine.
It was a direct referendum of all population conducted in every oblast separately, following the vote by the Ukrainian Soviet parliament - where only 2 regional deputies voted against independence, compared to 321 regional deputies who voted for (and 6 absenting). Overal 84% of all people participated in this second, direct vote, and 92% of them voted yes. It was only contested in Crimea (54% yes).
And which was accepted by the Moscow leadership of the Soviet Union, who withrew the Soviet (Russian) forces, and then the new international border with the new country Russia was officially confirmed in the 1992 treaty.
Russia where there were no such regional referendums for any regions of Russia, unlike for the secession of Ukraine from Moscow rule, and was just automatic for every single region of the Russian Soviet Socialist Federal Republic to become a part of the Russian Federation. There was no yes/no choice given to anyone there.
And after Chechnya refused and made their own vote and declared independence from the Soviet Russia over 1 year before even the official proclaimation of the Russian Federation, seceding from the Checheno-Ingush Soviet Autonomous Socialist Republic (where the Ingush decided to stay in Russia, so they peacefully split into Chechnya and Ingushetia), you should know how Moscow reacted to that.
Today, most of the "locals" in the Russian occupied territories have been either killed or displaced. While Russia is now again replacing them but this time (at the time of the Russian demographic crisis) with immigrants from Central Asia, who ironically often don't even speak Russian.
Referendum already took place, in 1991. Even after 70 years of literal genocide and massive ethnic replacement (millions of people sent from Russia to replace the dead), as well as Russification (including Russian being of course the official Soviet language), most people in every single oblast decided to live in the independent Ukraine.
It was a direct referendum of all population conducted in every oblast separately, following the vote by the Ukrainian Soviet parliament - where only 2 regional deputies voted against independence, compared to 321 regional deputies who voted for (and 6 absenting). Overal 84% of all people participated in this second, direct vote, and 92% of them voted yes. It was only contested in Crimea (54% yes).
And which was accepted by the Moscow leadership of the Soviet Union, who withrew the Soviet (Russian) forces, and then the new international border with the new country Russia was officially confirmed in the 1992 treaty.
Russia where there were no such regional referendums for any regions of Russia, unlike for the secession of Ukraine from Moscow rule, and was just automatic for every single region of the Russian Soviet Socialist Federal Republic to become a part of the Russian Federation. There was no yes/no choice given to anyone there.
And after Chechnya refused and made their own vote and declared independence from the Soviet Russia over 1 year before even the official proclaimation of the Russian Federation, seceding from the Checheno-Ingush Soviet Autonomous Socialist Republic (where the Ingush decided to stay in Russia, so they peacefully split into Chechnya and Ingushetia), you should know how Moscow reacted to that.
Today, most of the "locals" in the Russian occupied territories have been either killed or displaced. While Russia is now again replacing them but this time (at the time of the Russian demographic crisis) with immigrants from Central Asia, who ironically often don't even speak Russian.