Vladimir Putin is formally annexing territories of Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, will hold a ceremony in an opulent Kremlin hall to declare Russia's control over almost 15% of Ukraine, the largest annexation of territory in Europe since World War II.

Putin stated that "Russian forever" would apply to the four regions of Ukraine.

The referendums in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, which the West countries have denounced as unlawful, followed just before the annexation.

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has criticized the action, claiming that Putin desired a conflict more than human life.

Antonio Guterres, the head of the UN, also referred to it as a risky escalation and a violation of the UN charter.

It occurs when Ukrainian troops are encircling an important city in eastern Ukraine in part.

At least 25 people were killed and 50 injured in Zaporizhzhia as a result of a Russian rocket attack.