Russia annex occupied regions of Ukraine after hold sham referendums, Kremlin confirms

Vladimir Putin will formally annex Ukraine’s occupied regions to Russia tomorrow in Moscow, the Kremlin has confirmed.

It comes after Moscow-backed proxy governments in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson held referendums on whether or not to proceed with the move.

Armed Russian soldiers taking ballot boxes door-to-door left the results without question, and Ukraine and its Western allies have vowed not to recognize the results.

But it still marks a turning point in the war, as it will enable Putin to tell his own people the lie that any attack on those regions is an attack on Russia itself.

That broadens the range of military options with which he can respond, possibly including nuclear weapons — a threat Putin and his allies have expressed in recent days.

Before Putin’s speech, huge TV screens will be placed in Red Square, indicating that a large demonstration will take place at the same time.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, said today: “Tomorrow there will be a signing ceremony on the annexation of the new territories in Russia in the Georgian hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.”

Putin will deliver a speech at the event, he added, which will also see Russian-backed puppet leaders from the occupied territories hand them over to Moscow.

Peskov spoke out as huge TV screens rolled onto Red Square in anticipation of the speech, suggesting a large demonstration will also take place.

Around the screens were digital banners that read: ‘Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, Kherson – Russia!’, in case there was any doubt about Putin’s intention.

The United States and its Western allies have strongly condemned the votes as “sham” and have vowed never to recognize their achievements.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock joined other Western officials on Thursday in disapproving the votes.

“Under threats and sometimes even (at) gunpoint, people are taken from their homes or workplaces to vote in glass ballot boxes,” she said in Berlin.

Russian troops escort Ukrainians to vote in the fake ballots at gunpoint

Election officials with transparent ballot boxes (left) are ushered into an apartment building in occupied Ukraine along with armed Russian agents (right)

“This is the opposite of free and fair elections,” Baerbock said. “And this is the opposite of peace. It is dictated peace. As long as this Russian dictatorship prevails in the occupied territories of Ukraine, no citizen is safe. No citizen is free.’

Ukraine has also denounced the referenda as illegal and says it has every right to retake the territories, a position that has been supported by Washington.

Putin’s referendums and speech come as he tries to regain initiative in Ukraine after his army suffered a humiliating defeat two weeks ago.

Ukrainian forces recaptured thousands of square miles of territory east of Kharkov in a rapid advance that caused the Russian front line to collapse.

That advance continues, with the city of Lyman now virtually surrounded by both Ukrainian and Russian sources.

The advance is significant, as it takes place in the Donbas region – even if Putin says conquering it is the main goal of his war.

Faced with defeat, the despot has instead doubled down: yielding to hardliners who called for escalation by mobilizing hundreds of thousands of men in the military.

He has also threatened the use of nuclear weapons, both against Ukraine and against its Western backers, which ally Dmitry Medvedev has repeated several times since.

Russia is also said to be behind two explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea, which have paralyzed a major gas route to Europe.

The target of the attack, analysts and experts say, is a warning to the West that its own infrastructure could be targeted unless it deteriorates.

Banners that read ‘Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, Kherson – Russia!’ are displayed next to large television screens in Red Square, ahead of Putin’s speech

Prior to Putin’s speech, in which he declares occupied parts of Ukraine to be Russia, security barriers and checkpoints are placed in Red Square.