About 15 percent of Ukraine could become part of the Russian Federation, if four occupation regimes get their way.
They are about the fully or partially occupied regions of Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk, Kherson and Luhansk.
Referendums are to be held in all regions September 23-27.
Referendums condemned by Western countries as illegitimate sham votes, orchestrated by the Kremlin.
SVT's correspondent Bert Sundström believes that the polls are a way to legitimize Russia's rule over the areas.
- This means that the war that is going on now will not be between Ukraine and separatist areas, but between Ukraine and Russia.
With Ukraine having NATO behind it, it will be a much more serious conflict, says Bert Sundström.
Fragmented regions
It also becomes more serious from an international perspective, emphasizes Sundström.
- It will be almost as if NATO and Russia are facing each other, he says.
It is difficult to say what public opinion in the relevant areas looks like.
Bert Sundström has been to the affected areas several times and describes it as "very divided".
- A lot of people are on Russia's side and kind of yearn to go back to the Soviet Union.
But many others want to be part of Ukraine.
"Strategic Confusion"
Magnus Christiansson, lecturer in military science at the Norwegian Defense Academy, believes that Russia is currently sending double signals.
The referendums can be seen as a way to legitimize an escalation of the war, but at the same time, from the Russian side, the ambitions with the so-called "special operation" in Ukraine have been played down.
- I see it as increasing strategic confusion, says Christiansson in Aktuellt.