Russia Will Annex Occupied Ukrainian Territories On Friday, Kremlin Says—Following ‘Sham’ Referendums

Topline

Russian President Vladimir Putin will move to annex four Ukrainian provinces—some of which are not under complete Russian control—by signing a decree Friday afternoon, the Kremlin announced on Thursday, days after orchestrated referendums organized by Moscow-backed officials in occupied territories dismissed by Kyiv and the West as shams.

Key Facts

The annexation will lead Russia to claim the occupied Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as its own territory—even though only Luhansk is fully under Russian control.

According to Russian news agency TASS, annexation orders will be signed at 3 p.m. local time on Friday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the signing of the decrees will be followed by an unofficial speech from Putin.

Like with Crimea in 2014, the annexation of these four Ukrainian provinces is unlikely to be recognized by any major international powers—but could bring even more sanctions against Russia.

Chief Critic

Calling Russia’s actions in the occupied territories a “propaganda show” and a “crime”, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said: “By organizing sham ‘referendums’ in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russia wilfully demonstrates that all of its signals of alleged readiness for negotiations are only meant to provide a cover-up to its armed aggression and helpless attempts to hold on to the temporarily occupied territories.”

What To Watch For

Peskov’s labeling of Putin’s speech as “unofficial” indicates it will likely be directed at a foreign audience instead of lawmakers in Russia. In his last public address, Putin ranted against NATO and the West and implied he was prepared to use nuclear weapons. The annexation will allow Putin to claim the Ukrainian provinces as his own territory and prompt him to threaten the use of nuclear weapons to defend them from counter-offensives.

Key Background

Earlier this week, Moscow-backed officials in the occupied territories claimed 99% of all votes in Donetsk, 98% in Luhansk, 93% in Zaporizhzhia and 87% in Kherson—results which have widely been dismissed as rigged. The Russian-organized referendums took place over five days where officials went door-to-door with the ballots. Residents in the region indicated that some of the voting was carried out under gunpoint while others were threatened with job losses and arrests.

Further Reading

Russia Claims Near-Unanimous Support In Dubious Ukraine Annexation Vote—Here’s What Happens Next (Forbes)

Russia’s Contrived Voting Begins In Occupied Ukrainian Territories: Here’s What You Need To Know (Forbes)