Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation to annex four Ukrainian territories on Wednesday, according to government documents. The regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia have been “accepted into the Russian Federation in accordance with the Russian Federation’s constitution,” according to the documents. Vladimir Putin also signed decrees formally appointing the current Moscow-backed leaders of the four regions as acting leaders.
Previously, both Russia’s lower and upper chambers of parliament had unanimously supported the annexation legislation.
Despite condemnation from Kiev and its Western allies, President Putin presided over a grand ceremony at the Kremlin last Friday during which he signed agreements with the Moscow-installed leaders of the four regions to become subjects of the Russian Federation.
The four territories form a vital land corridor between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.
The five regions account for roughly 20% of Ukraine.
However, Russian forces do not have complete control over Kherson or Zaporizhzhia, and the Kremlin has not yet confirmed which areas of those regions are being annexed.
