Russia formally annexes 4 Ukrainian regions, Vladimir Putin asks for minute's silence for martyred soldiers

The Kremlin ceremony opened up shortly after Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the "independence" of the Ukrainian regions Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Putin-Kremlin-Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin begins Kremlin ceremony.

Photo : AP
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over the Kremlin ceremony and announced the formal annexation of four Ukrainian regions on Friday. The ceremony opened up shortly after Putin, in a major move after the Russia-Ukraine war, signed a decree recognizing the independence of the Ukrainian regions Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, media reports said. The said regions were majorly controlled by the Moscow-backed separatists since 2014 after the Russia-Crimea war.
The decree will be followed by Russia formally proclaiming the annexation of Ukrainian territory by hosting a ceremony in Moscow, reported Al Jazeera. "I order the recognition of the state sovereignty and independence" of Zaporizhia and Kherson in southern Ukraine, reported Al Jazeera citing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The two regions are set to be incorporated into Russia along with the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk at a ceremony in the Kremlin on Friday. This comes after, as the West calls it, a sham referendum."

Minute’s silence for martyred Russian soldiers

Apart from the major announcement, the Russian President also asked the nation to observe a minute’s silence for “the brave Russian soldiers” who died while fighting in Ukraine.
He said brave soldiers died during special operations and they are the heroes of Russia.
They died fighting for the lands, he said.
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