Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts
Part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian-installed officials at the annexation ceremony in Moscow
Date30 September 2022 (2022-09-30)
LocationSouthern and Eastern Ukraine
Organised byRussia
Outcome
  • Formal annexation of an undefined area in and around Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts by the Russian Federation,[1] including a part of Mykolaiv Oblast,[2] illegal under international law[3] and condemned by the United Nations[4]
  • Ukraine applies for NATO membership[5]

On 30 September 2022, Russia, amid an ongoing invasion of Ukraine, unilaterally declared its annexation of areas in and around four Ukrainian oblasts – Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. The boundaries of the areas to be annexed and their borders were not defined; Russian officials stated that they would be defined later. None of the oblasts were fully under Russian control at the time of the declaration, nor since. If limited to the areas then under Russian control (about 90,000 sq km or 15% of Ukraine's territory) the annexation would still be the largest in Europe since World War II.[6]

The annexation occurred after internationally unrecognized referendums held days prior, which were organized by Russian occupation authorities in territories where hostilities were ongoing and much of the population had fled.[7] It occurred seven months after the start of the invasion and less than a month after the start of the Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive. The signing ceremony was held in the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow in the presence of occupation authority heads Leonid Pasechnik, Denis Pushilin, Yevgeny Balitsky and Volodymyr Saldo, and Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The annexation is unrecognized by the international community, with the exception of North Korea and Syria.[8] Ukraine, the European Union, the United States, and the United Nations all said that the referendums and the annexation had no legal basis or effect.[9] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in response that Ukraine would apply to join NATO on an expedited basis.[10] On 19 October Russia introduced martial law within the annexed and controlled areas, with legislation allowing for bans on public gatherings and other widespread restrictions on personal liberty.[11]

The Ukrainian Kherson and Kharkiv counteroffensives allowed Ukraine to recapture parts of its territory, including Kherson City on 11 November.[12]

Background

Ethnic Russians by region (Census 2001). Russia used the "protection" of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in Ukraine as one of the pretexts for the invasion and occupation.[13][14]

Vast regions to the north of the Black Sea were sparsely populated and were known as the Wild Fields (as translated from Polish or Ukrainian). In the 15th century, the entire area of the northern coast of the Black Sea came under the control of the Crimean Khanate, which became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. The Russian Empire gradually gained control over the area in the 18th century, signing peace treaties with the Cossack Hetmanate and with the Ottoman Empire after the Russo-Turkish Wars. The name Novorossiya entered official usage in 1764. It was further expanded by annexing the Ukrainian Cossack Zaporozhian Sich in 1775.[15]

The four oblasts in southern and eastern Ukraine originated from Yekaterinoslav, Kherson, Taurida and Kharkov Governorates and Don Host Oblast of the Russian Empire. They were reorganized over the years during Communist rule when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The boundaries remained static after Ukraine became independent in 1991. All four regions overwhelmingly voted in favour of Ukrainian independence during the 1991 Ukrainian independence referendum.

In February and March 2014, Russia occupied and subsequently annexed Crimea from Ukraine by way of holding a referendum in which purportedly 96% of the local population voted in favour of the annexation, with Crimean Tatars boycotting it.[16] The annexation was mostly internationally unrecognized and was condemned by the UN General Assembly.[17] In April 2014, pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine proclaimed the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic (in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast) and the Luhansk People's Republic (in Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast) with unofficial support from Russia.

On 21 February 2022, Russia officially recognized the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic and, three days later, started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, during which they occupied territory in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, with formal military occupations beginning in the first week.[18] On 23 February, Putin in a televised address announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine,[19] launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.[20] In his speech, Putin claimed that Russia has no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory,[21] adding: "We are not going to impose anything on anyone by force".[19]

Annexation referendums

On 20 September, the authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic, as well as the occupation regimes of Kherson Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast, announced referendums on joining Russia on 23–27 September.[22][23][24]

On 27 September, Russian officials claimed that the accession "referendum" in Zaporizhzhia Oblast passed, with 93.11% of voters in favor of joining Russia.[25]

Proclamations of independence of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia

Russian Presidential decrees No. 685 (left) and No. 686 (right), recognizing the independence of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.

Following the annexation referendums in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the Russian military-civilian administrations of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia proclaimed independence as an intermediate step for Russian annexation.[26] The day after the referendums were held, the KMCA proclaimed the independence of the 'Kherson region'.[27] The ZMCA did the same for Zaporizhzhia, proclaiming independence for the 'Zaporozhye region'.[28][29]

On 29 September, Russia recognized Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions as independent countries, hours before annexing them.[30][31]

Annexation proceedings and borders

Vladimir Putin with pro-Russian leaders of the regions on 30 September 2022 (left).
Putin and Denis Pushilin at the "People's Choice. Together Forever" concert (right), a state-held rally held after the annexation.
Ukrainian regions wholly or largely claimed by Russia since 2014 (Crimea) and 2022 (others). Parts of Mykolaiv Oblast claimed to have been annexed into Kherson Oblast are included; part of Kharkiv Oblast under Russian control at the time are not included.

On 30 September, Putin signed accession treaties with the four pro-Russian leaders of the regions, Leonid Pasechnik, Head of the Luhansk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, Head of the Donetsk People's Republic, Yevgeny Balitsky, governor of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Volodymyr Saldo, governor of the Kherson Oblast.[32] The exact boundaries of the territories declared annexed were however not legally defined, with the drafts of final annexation documents recursively referring to territories "on the day of the admission to the Russian Federation" and on the day of "the formation of a new constituent entity within the Russian Federation", both being prospective future events.[32]

Hours after the declared annexation, the Ukrainian army recaptured several towns in Donetsk Oblast as part of the 2022 Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive.

At the time of the annexation proceedings in early October, Russian authorities stated that the Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic (collectively called the Donbas[33]) would maintain their 2014 borders.[34] They also stated that elsewhere, the new Russian border is not clearly defined, and would be defined in consultation with local residents.[35][36] It was also stated that Russian-held parts of Mykolaiv Oblast would be incorporated into Russian-controlled Kherson Province.[37]

Russia did not hold the entirety of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts; at the time, it held about 60% of Donetsk Oblast, most of Luhansk Oblast, almost all of Kherson Oblast, and about 70% of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.[38] It held almost none of Mykolaiv Oblast, and had recently lost all but a small part of the areas it had controlled in Kharkiv Oblast;[33] Ukrainian intelligence claimed documents showing that a planned annexation referendum in Kharkiv Oblast had been cancelled as a result of these losses.[39]

It was not clear whether Russia was claiming those portions of the named oblasts which it does not hold under military control.[40] Russian authorities did state that all of the Donetsk region would be treated as part of Russia, and that the portion not under Russian control would be "liberated".[41] The areas which were controlled by Russia at the time[42][33] amount to about 15% of Ukraine's total area, more than 90,000 km2 (35,000 sq mi) – roughly the size of Hungary or Portugal.[43]

On 3 October, Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics will be annexed in "their 2014 borders", while as for the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblast Russia will "continue consultations with the residents as to their borders".[44] These comments caused confusion and polemics among supporters of the annexation in Russia, with former Ukrainian parliamentarian and Russian collaborator Oleg Tsaryov arguing "there is no 2014 borders" of DNR and LNR.[45]

Russia's State Duma, a rubber stamp for the Kremlin, voted unanimously to formalize the illegal annexations on 3 October.[46] The annexation of each oblast received more "yes" votes than there were lawmakers present.[46] Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin blamed the discrepancies on a "technical failure".[46] The Federation Council (the upper house of Russia's parliament) approved the annexations not long afterwards, and on 5 October it was reported that President Putin had signed them into law.[47] The annexation was carried out also in violation of Russian law.[48]

Consequences

On 1 October, Russia began requiring Ukrainians wishing to cross into Ukrainian-held areas to fill out exit visas and get permission in advance. The number of people arriving from areas of Russian control slowed to a trickle, with talk of a "new Iron Curtain".[49] Getting permission to leave can take up to two weeks and requires clearances from various Russian security agencies.[50]

On 19 October, President Vladimir Putin declared martial law in the annexed areas.[51]

Some estimates suggest that the reconstruction of the annexed territories would cost Russia between $100 and $200 billion.[52] A state budget published on 29 September by the Kremlin revealed that 3.3 billion roubles (about US$59 million) had been set aside to rebuild the regions.[53]

In December 2022, Peskov said that any peace plans to end the Russo-Ukrainian War can only proceed from Ukraine's recognition of Russia's annexation of occupied regions in September 2022.[54] In January 2023, Putin cited recognition of Russia's sovereignty over the annexed territories as a condition for peace talks with Ukraine.[55]

Vladimir Putin speech

Vladimir Putin during the speech.

Russian president Vladimir Putin delivered a 37-minute long speech to both chambers of the Russian parliament about the annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts into Russia.[56][57] He spoke in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in the Moscow Kremlin.[58][59] The tone of the speech was strongly anti-American and anti-Western, to the point where observers described it as his most anti-Western speech to date.[60]

Following the results of recent referendums on the annexation of occupied territories of Ukraine by Russia – which were condemned as shams by independent observers and the international community – Putin said that it was the "will of millions of people" in these territories to become part of Russia and to become Russian citizens "forever". He cited Article 1 of the UN charter as justification for his claims.[59][61]

Within the speech, Putin spoke about the colonial past of the Western world, denouncing its "totalitarianism, despotism and apartheid",[58] and accused it of attempting to create a neo-colonial and unipolar world order.[59] He said that the West intended to destroy Russia as a nation,[62] and called "the ruling circles of the so-called West" as "the enemy"[62] threatening religion and morality, accusing the West of Satanism.[59]

Putin also blamed the recent Nord Stream gas leaks on the "Anglo-Saxons"[59] and said that the use of nuclear weapons by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki "set a precedent".[59]

Reactions

On 12 October 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution ES 11/4 declaring that the staged referendums and attempted annexation are invalid and illegal under international law.
  In favour: 143
  Against: 5
  Abstained: 35
  Absent: 10
Wikinews has related news:

According to Reuters, if Russia "formally annexed a vast additional chunk of Ukraine, Putin would essentially be daring the United States and its European allies to risk a direct military confrontation", and would certainly escalate the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.[63]

The UN's Under Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo rejected the referendum and said, "Unilateral actions aimed to provide a veneer of legitimacy to the attempted acquisition by force by one State of another State's territory while claiming to represent the will of the people, cannot be regarded as legal under international law".[64]

A United Nations Security Council meeting was held on 30 September 2022, to vote on a resolution to condemn Russia for annexing these territories, resulting in 10 yes votes, one no vote, and four abstentions. The resolution failed because Russia vetoed it. Brazil, China, Gabon, and India abstained from the vote.[lower-alpha 1]

On 12 October 2022, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution ES-11/4, titled "Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations", with 143 nations voting in favor, 5 against and 35 abstaining. It condemned the "illegal so-called referendums" and the "attempted illegal annexation" and demanded that Russia immediately reverse its decisions and withdraw its forces from Ukraine.[66][67]

Only North Korea and Syria have recognized the Russian annexation of four partially occupied regions of Ukraine.[68][69]

As a result of the annexation and of the previous sham referendums, an Internet meme portraying a satirical annexation of Kaliningrad Oblast by the Czech Republic as the "Královec Region" (Czech: Královecký kraj) emerged.[70]

A YouGov poll showed that in February 2023, 63% of respondents in Sweden wanted to support Ukraine in a war with Russia until Russian troops leave all occupied territories.[71] A Gallup poll conducted in June 2023 found that 62% of respondents in the United States wanted to support Ukraine in regaining territory that Russia had captured, even if it meant prolonging the war between Russia and Ukraine, while 32% wanted to end the war as quickly as possible, even if it meant allowing Russia to keep the territory it conquered in southeastern Ukraine.[72]

On September 9, 2023, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the "sham 'elections'" held in parts of Ukraine.[73][74]

Ukrainian response

On 7 August 2022, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that "if the occupiers proceed along the path of pseudo-referendums they will close for themselves any chance of talks with Ukraine and the free world, which the Russian side will clearly need at some point."[75] After the ceremony of annexation, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would not negotiate with Russia "as long as Putin is president", and requested a "fast-track" NATO membership in response.[76]

In the poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) between 13 and 18 May 2022, 82% of Ukrainians said they did not support any territorial concessions to Russia, even if that meant prolonging the war.[77] Another KIIS poll conducted in September 2022 found that 87% of Ukrainians opposed any territorial concessions to Russia.[78]

On 29 September, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelenskyy, said that the Russian plans to annex parts of Ukraine "do not make legal sense" and that the annexation ceremony was a "Kremlin freak show".[79]

The Ukrainian Kherson and Kharkiv counteroffensives allowed Ukraine to recapture parts of its territory, including the city of Kherson on 11 November.[12]

See also

Geopolitical aspects

Notes

  1. ↑ Yes: France, United Kingdom, United States, Albania, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, United Arab Emirates.
    Abstention: Brazil, China, Gabon, India.
    No: Russia.[65]

References

  1. ↑ Pjotr Sauer; Luke Harding (30 September 2022). "Putin annexes four regions of Ukraine in major escalation of Russia's war". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Mykolaiv region to be incorporated in Russian-held Kherson". Reuters. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "United Nations Charter, Chapter I: Purposes and Principles". United Nations. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "With 143 Votes in Favour, 5 Against, General Assembly Adopts Resolution Condemning Russian Federation's Annexation of Four Eastern Ukraine Regions". UN Press. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  5. ↑ Luke Harding; Isobel Koshiw (30 September 2022). "Ukraine applies for Nato membership after Russia annexes territory". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  6. ↑ Dickson, Janice (30 September 2022). "Putin signs documents to illegally annex four Ukrainian regions, in drastic escalation of Russia's war". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022. Mr. Putin's claim to more than 15 per cent of Ukraine's territory is the largest annexation in Europe since the Second World War.
  7. ↑ Walker, Shaun (23 September 2022). "'Referendums' on joining Russia under way in occupied Ukraine". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022. So-called "referendums" are under way in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops, with residents told to vote on proposals for the four Ukrainian regions to declare independence and then join Russia.
  8. ↑ "So-called referenda in Russian-controlled Ukraine 'cannot be regarded as legal': UN political affairs chief". UN News. 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  9. ↑ Trevelyan, Mark (30 September 2022). "Putin declares annexation of Ukrainian lands in Kremlin ceremony". Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  10. ↑ Balmforth, Tom (30 September 2022). "Ukraine applies for NATO membership, rules out Putin talks". Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Putin tightens grip on Ukraine and Russia with martial law". AP News. 19 October 2022. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  12. 1 2 Andrew E. Kramer (13 November 2022). "Russia Tried to Absorb a Ukrainian City. It Didn't Work". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  13. ↑ "Vladimir Putin's false war claims". Deutsche Welle. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "'Smells of genocide': How Putin justifies Russia's war in Ukraine". Al Jazeera. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Nataliya Polonska-Vasylenko (1955). The Settlement of the Southern Ukraine (1750–1775). Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S. p. 190. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  16. ↑ Crimean Tatar Leader Announces Referendum Boycott, 6 March 2014, archived from the original on 11 March 2021, retrieved 1 October 2022
  17. ↑ "United Nations A/RES/68/262 General Assembly" (PDF). United Nations. 1 April 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  18. ↑ James, Liam (3 March 2022). "Russia claims it has seized Kherson as mayor agrees to conditions to keep city running". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.; "Berdyansk: Life Under Russian Occupation". Institute for War and Peace Reporting. 8 April 2022. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  19. 1 2 "Full text: Putin's declaration of war on Ukraine". The Spectator. 24 February 2022.
  20. ↑ "Russia launches massive invasion of Ukraine — live updates". Deutsche Welle. 24 February 2022.
  21. ↑ "No need for additional mobilization for special military operation, lawmaker assures". TASS. 14 June 2022.
  22. ↑ "Russia moves to formally annex swathes of Ukraine". Reuters. 20 September 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  23. ↑ "Война в Украине: ЛНР и ДНР объявили о "референдумах" о присоединении к России 23–27 сентября – Новости на русском языке". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  24. ↑ "На оккупированных территориях Украины 23–27 сентября проведут "референдумы о присоединении к России". Главное Тем временем в России вводят понятие "мобилизация" в Уголовный кодекс". Meduza (in Russian). Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  25. ↑ "Pro-Moscow officials say 1 occupied area of Ukraine has voted to join Russia". PBS NewsHour. 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.; "Жители Запорожской области голосовали за воссоединение с Россией – Администрация Запорожской области" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  26. ↑ "Запорожская ВГА заявила о выходе региона из состава Украины". РБК (in Russian). 28 September 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  27. ↑ "Residents of the Kherson region determined their future". khogov.ru. Kherson military-civilian administration. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  28. ↑ "Pro-Moscow officials say 1 occupied area of Ukraine has voted to join Russia". PBS NewsHour. 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  29. ↑ "Жители Запорожской области голосовали за воссоединение с Россией – Администрация Запорожской области" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  30. ↑ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche, Russia-Ukraine updates: Kremlin says recognizes Kherson, Zaporizhzhia | DW | September 29, 2022, archived from the original on 1 October 2022, retrieved 30 September 2022
  31. ↑ "Putin Signs Independence Decrees In Precursor To Seizing Ukrainian Regions". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  32. 1 2 "Определены границы новых регионов России". Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022. The boundaries of the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic are determined by the boundaries of the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic as established by the Constitution of the Donetsk People's Republic on the day of its formation and on the day of the admission to the Russian Federation of the Donetsk People's Republic and the formation of a new constituent entity within the Russian Federation.
  33. 1 2 3 Karklis, Laris; Cunningham, Erin (30 September 2022). "Three maps that explain Russia's annexations and losses in Ukraine". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  34. ↑ "Russia vows to keep consulting people in Kherson, Zaporozhye Regions over their borders". TASS. 4 October 2022. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022.
  35. ↑ Styllis, George; McTaggart, India; Millimaci, Grace (3 October 2022). "Russia admits borders of two annexed regions are unclear". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  36. ↑ "Russia to 'Consult' Locals on Annexed Ukraine Regions' Borders – Kremlin". The Moscow Times. 3 October 2022. Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  37. ↑ "Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Mykolaiv region to be incorporated in Russian-held Kherson". Reuters. Reuters. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  38. 1 2 "Factbox: The four regions that Russia is poised to annex from Ukraine". Reuters. 30 September 2022. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  39. ↑ "Russias plans for November "referendum" in Kharkiv region revealed: 75% were supposed to vote to join Russia". Ukrainska Pravda. 25 September 2022. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022.
  40. ↑ "Kremlin: Russia to consult before delimiting Ukraine regions it claims". Reuters. 3 October 2022. Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  41. ↑ Kirby, Paul (30 September 2022). "What Russian annexation means for Ukraine's regions". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022. Even Mr Peskov was unable to define where Russia would draw its new borders in occupied southern Ukraine. However, he said Russia would treat all of the Donetsk region as part of Russia. As for those parts not under occupation, he said those would have to be "liberated".
  42. ↑ Taking oblast areas, in thousands of square km, from the Wikipedia articles on the respective oblasts, and the rough percentage of each oblast held,[38] as described in this section, 0.7*27.183+28.461+0.6*26.517+26.684=90.083 thousand square kilometers
  43. ↑ Guy Faulconbridge; Felix Light (22 September 2022). "Explainer: Russia unfolds annexation plan for Ukraine". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  44. ↑ "Песков: Россия продолжит советоваться с населением Херсонской и Запорожской областей по вопросу границ". Российская газета. 3 October 2022. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  45. ↑ "Олег Царёв". Telegram. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  46. 1 2 3 Dixon, Robyn (3 October 2022). "In two more staged votes, Russian parliament moves to ratify annexation". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  47. ↑ "Russia's Putin signs laws annexing occupied Ukrainian regions". Al Jazeera English. 5 October 2022. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  48. ↑ "Россия завершила аннексию оккупированных территорий Украины. И это абсолютно незаконно — даже с точки зрения нынешнего российского права". Meduza (in Russian). 4 October 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  49. ↑ Adams, Paul (4 October 2022). "Ukraine war: The families who made it through the new Iron Curtain". BBC News. Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  50. ↑ Loveluck, Louisa; Rauhala, Emily; Dixon, Robyn. "Russia imposes border rules in Zaporizhzhia to solidify illegal annexation". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  51. ↑ Pavlova, Uliana (19 October 2022). "Putin declares martial law in four occupied regions as Kyiv presses offensive". CNN. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  52. ↑ "Putin's Victory in Taking Donbas Will Cost Him Billions". Newsweek. 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  53. ↑ "Putin to sign treaty annexing territories in Ukraine, Kremlin says". The Guardian. 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  54. ↑ "British Defense Ministry Notes 'Continued Churn of Senior Russian Officials'". VOA News. 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  55. ↑ "Putin Signals Readiness for Peace Talks if Kyiv Cedes Occupied Regions". The Moscow Times. 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  56. ↑ "'Russia! Russia!' – chants end Putin's Ukraine speech". BBC News. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  57. ↑ Landay, Jonathan (30 September 2022). "Defiant Putin proclaims Ukrainian annexation as military setback looms". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  58. 1 2 "Putin's annexation speech: more angry taxi driver than head of state". the Guardian. 30 September 2022. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  59. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Putin's speech on annexation: What exactly did he say?". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
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  62. 1 2 Troianovski, Anton; Hopkins, Valerie (30 September 2022). "With Bluster and Threats, Putin Casts the West as the Enemy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  63. ↑ Guy Faulconbridge; Felix Light (22 September 2022). "Russia moves to formally annex swathes of Ukraine". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  64. ↑ "So-called referenda in Russian-controlled Ukraine 'cannot be regarded as legal': UN political affairs chief". UN News. 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  65. ↑ "Russia vetoes Security Council resolution condemning attempted annexation of Ukraine regions". UN News. United Nations. 30 September 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  66. ↑ "UN General Assembly condemns Russian pseudo-referendums in occupied Ukrainian territories". Ukrinform. 12 October 2022. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  67. ↑ Korea, Republic of; Moldova, Republic of; Tobago, Trinidad and (7 October 2022). "Territorial integrity of Ukraine : defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations". Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
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  72. ↑ "Most Americans Still Support Ukraine War Effort". Gallup. 29 June 2023.
  73. ↑ "Azerbaijani MFA issued statement condemning so-called "elections" in a number of territories of Ukraine". Apa.az. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
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  76. ↑ "Kyiv requests fast-track NATO membership: Zelenskyy". Al Arabiya. 30 September 2022. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
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