Russia Will Begin Annexation Votes In Ukrainian Regions
LONDON, Sept 23 (Reuters) – Russia will on Friday launch its plan to annex about 15 percent of Ukrainian territory through referendums in four regions controlled by Russian forces, a move the West says is a flagrant violation of international law which significantly escalates the war. . After nearly seven months of war and a critical defeat on the battlefield in northeastern Ukraine earlier this month, President Vladimir Putin explicitly backed referendums after Russian-controlled regions lined up to demand snap votes to join Russia....