The constitutional referendum took place against the backdrop of a profound socio-political crisis that began immediately after the 2020 presidential election and the pervasive atmosphere of repression targeting those disloyal to the authorities, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections issued their preliminary report of their expert mission to this referendum, examining the lack of any electoral reforms since the 2020 post-election crisis; the intransparent manner in which the draft amendments were presented and discussed publicly without outside critical involvement; the numerous violations of international standards and national legislation in preparing and conducting the referendum. There was no independent monitoring of all types of voting or the vote count due to the CEC restrictions on the number of observers at polling stations.