Putin to annex occupied Ukrainian regions at ceremony after ‘sham’ votes – By Alexander Smith (NBC News) / Sept 29, 2022
Russian-backed authorities staged votes in occupied regions of Ukraine’s east and south that were widely denounced as a sham to justify a land grab following recent military setbacks.
Russia will formally annex four regions of Ukraine partially controlled by its military, the Kremlin announced Thursday, in a major political escalation of the war against its neighbor.
It comes after Moscow-backed authorities staged votes in the occupied regions of Ukraine’s east and south that were widely denounced as a sham to justify a land grab following Russia’s recent military setbacks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend a ceremony on the accession of the four regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia — at the Kremlin’s St. George’s Hall on Friday.
“There will be a big speech by Putin there too,” he said.
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