Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya – the four Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia – are to be annexed, the Kremlin has announced.

Expected to be announced at ceremony

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to conduct a "signing ceremony" with the leaders of the occupation regimes on Friday afternoon.

It will take place in the great Kremlin Palace and, for Russia, has the purpose of "adding" Ukraine's territories to Russia.

The ceremony comes after the mock polls in the regions, according to Russia, showed that an "overwhelming majority" of the remaining population had voted to join Russia.

President Vladimir Putin is expected to address the ceremony, which has been described by Ukraine's government as a freak show.

Residents may be forced onto the streets

In addition to the "festivities" in the Kremlin, the residents of the occupied regions of eastern Ukraine may be forced to participate in a well-directed celebration and a kind of stunt in an attempt to make it appear that the annexations reflect the will of the people.

Hugo von Essen, analyst at the Center for Eastern European Studies, believes so.

- It is very much a theater from the Russian side.

One probably understands that the West does not buy the theater, but one hopes that there is an audience in other countries that does.

But of course it is also about trying to show the audience in Russia that you have achieved at least something with the war, says Hugo von Essen.

More countries can go against Russia

The annexations are against international law.

The so-called referendums that have been carried out in the regions have already been described as frauds by the outside world and condemned by many countries.

Even more condemnations are to be expected in the future - as well as new tougher sanctions against Russia from the EU and the US.

- I also believe in condemnations from countries that today are not strongly against Russia, for example Turkey and India, but also other countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

This is because a great many countries sign and protect the principle that you must not conquer other countries by force.

Without that principle, the world would become much more insecure, says Hugo von Essen.

The war takes on a new dimension

- When these areas are incorporated into Russia, Russia will be able to say that what is happening now on the battle front is a Ukrainian attack on Russian territory with NATO and the West behind it.

This makes the conflict much more serious, says SVT's correspondent Bert Sundström.

That the annexation is taking place right now is clearly linked to Ukraine's successful counter-offensive, says Hugo von Essen, who states that the stakes in the war are being raised.

He believes that Russia wants to deter Ukraine and the West from carrying out attacks in the four regions because they will be covered by Russian nuclear protection.

Former lieutenant colonel Jörgen Elfving believes that the war now takes on a different dimension because for Russia it will be about liberating Russian territory. 

- The question is whether Russia will be satisfied with retaking the so-called people's republics of Luhansk and Donetsk, or whether they will continue the offensive further west, something that a number of statements have pointed to, says Jörgen Elfving.

Ukraine's resistance continues

Jörgen Elfving assesses that Ukraine will continue to resist and try to regain occupied areas. 

- There will be no hesitation about that, they will continue the battles against the Russian units, he says.

At the same time, Russia has now made a clear choice of path in the war, notes Hugo von Essen.

- Russia had a choice to back off and reduce its war aims and get out of this by saving what could be saved.

They did not choose that path.

Instead, you send a clear signal that you are going all-in and will fight to the last drop of blood in this war, says Hugo von Essen.