Russia illegally annexes four regions in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the illegal seizure of four regions in Ukraine on Friday, in a move widely condemned by the international community.

In an angry speech decrying the West, he claimed people living in the regions had made their choice in ‘referendums’ that have been labelled shams.

The territory seized is the Russian-held Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which account for 15% of Ukraine’s territory.

A carefully choreographed signing ceremony laden with patriotic overtones ended with Putin and the four appointed leaders of the seized territories shouting ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’.

Ukraine responded by asking NATO to speed up giving it membership of the US-led defence alliance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to oust the Russians from all of Ukraine.

The annexation comes after Russia experienced setbacks on the battlefield with Ukrainian forces making significant gains in the east earlier this month.

Ukrainian soldiers are reportedly making progress in re-taking Lyman, another key city in the east.

Putin has upped the stakes with annexation, insisting that an attack on these territories was now a threat to Russia’s territorial integrity.

Russia bombs civilian convoy

A large crater is testament to the severity of the Russian missile attack on a civilian convoy

Earlier, at least 25 people were killed and dozens more injured in a Russian rocket strike on a civilian convoy in south Ukraine.

A huge crater next to a row of vehicles in the city of Zaporizhzhia was testament s to the violence of the attack. Windows and windscreens were smashed in.

Russia condemned

Russia’s move to annex Ukrainian territory has elicited widespread condemnation.

G7 foreign ministers described Russia's decision as a "new low point" in the war.

In a joint statement, they said that nuclear rhetoric would not prevent or deter them from supporting Ukraine for as long as is necessary.

"We will never recognise these purported annexations, nor the sham 'referenda' conducted at gunpoint," said the top diplomats from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, US, UK and the EU.

They said they would impose further restrictions on Russia and said the seized lands were an integral part of Ukraine.

Malta firmly reject & unequivocally condemn the illegal annexation by Russia of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia & Kherson regions. The territorial integrity & sovereignty of Ukraine must be upheld. Malta also strongly condemns the attacks on the convoy in Zaporizhzhia.

— Ian Borg (@MinisterIanBorg) September 30, 2022

Malta’s foreign minister Ian Borg condemned the “illegal” Russian annexation of Ukraine’s territory and the attack on the civilian convoy.

Borg tweeted: “The territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine must be upheld.”