Father Dougal was confounded by the difference between a small toy cow and a real sized one "far away". Even he could've understood there's a connection between the direction people running to, and what they're running from. Why can't you?!
Far more Russian speakers from Russian families with close ties to Russia FLED the occupation and FLED ANNEXATION, than stayed in occupied areas to vote for it. The brain drain is also immense.
Russia's proxy regimes are comprised of mercs on a payroll, misty eyed senior citizens, village idiots, and career criminals turned opportunist.
There's no bigger indictment of Russia's delusions than the contrast between the "flowers and songs" they expected, and the thought of Russian annexation going down worse - in the wider Russian Ukrainian community! - than a runny fart in an elevator.
There are far more Russian Ukrainian refugees running away from annexation than there are Russian Ukrainians voting for the annexation.
The separatists were a minority even in the Russian community before February and if they didn't have Russian backing they would struggle to fill a church hall.