Voting begins in the five-day sham annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine, leading to Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

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. Most of Luhansk Oblast and part of Donetsk Oblast had been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, while the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts were invaded by Russia in 2022.

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 the annexation would still be the largest in Europe since World War II.

Moscow Annexation Ceremony (free image)
Moscow Annexation Ceremony (free image) (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Russians Ukraine 2001
Russians Ukraine 2001 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
President Vladimir Putin with Russian-installed leaders of the four regions 2
President Vladimir Putin with Russian-installed leaders of the four regions 2 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
VladimirPutinDenisPushilin
VladimirPutinDenisPushilin (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

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Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, 2022 annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.