In the Kremlin, there is now a big ceremony with the signing of four documents that will forcefully incorporate four Ukrainian areas into Russia. This concerns Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya. It corresponds to around 15 percent of Ukraine’s territory. Russia has occupied large parts, but not the entire area that they now claim will be part of Russia. In advance, Putin had declared all four occupied territories as independent, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya as late as Thursday evening. – The people have decided. It became clear during the referendums, says Russian President Vladimir Putin during the ceremony on Friday. – This is the wish of millions of people, claims Putin INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR AND AEI’S CRITICAL THREATS PROJECT / news (Updated 30.09.2022)INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR AND AEI’S CRITICAL THREATS PROJECT / news (Updated 30.09.2022) The claim from the Russian side is that people in these regions themselves choose to join Russia. “Referendums” on incorporation into Russia have been carried out, contrary to international law. The pro-Russian authorities that Russia has installed in these areas claim people have voted overwhelmingly to become part of Russia. This is not trusted internationally. The pro-Russian leaders of the occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporiyia. Leonid Pasechnik, Denis Pushilin, Volodymir Saldo and Yevghei Balitsky in the Kremlin. Photo: Yevgeny Balitsky / Telegram The pro-Russian leaders of the occupied territories are all in the Kremlin to meet Putin in the context of the annexation. Massive international condemnation Both the forced incorporation into Russia and the unfree “referendum” have been heavily criticized by the UN and democracies worldwide. There have also been a number of stories of people being threatened at gunpoint to vote. In September, Ukraine took back parts of the Russian-occupied areas. And many have thus escaped being forced to participate in the illegal referendums. Ukraine The real leaders of the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporiyia., photographed in Ukraine. From left: 1. Starukh Oleksandr – Zaporizhia 2. Sergei Gaidai – Luhansk 3. Kirill Timoshenko, Deputy Head of the President’s Office 4. Yanushevich Yaroslav – Kherson 5. Pavel Kirilenko – Donetsk Photo: Russian media / Social media Turning point in the war Many believe that at to declare large parts of Ukraine as Russian, Putin can later claim that Ukraine’s attempts to take back its own lands are attacks on Russia, despite the fact that this is actually Ukrainian territory according to international law. At the same time, the war is fully underway on the ground in the areas that Putin now claims are Russian. Screenshot from Governor Oleksandr Starukh’s Telegram account On Friday, it was reported that over 20 Ukrainians were killed when Russian rockets hit a motorcade near the city of Zaporizhzhya.
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Russia has now declared four Ukrainian areas as Russian – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
