Putin officially includes more than 15% of the area of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday formally completed the annexation of more than 15 percent of Ukraine's territory to the Russian Federation.
In the largest expansion of Russian territory in at least half a century, Putin signed laws to annex the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions to Russia.
The State Duma announced that Putin had signed four federal constitutional laws on the entry into the Russian Federation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, adding that he also signed laws related to ratification.
Russia announced the annexations after holding referendums in areas it controlled in Ukraine.
Western governments and Kiev said the vote violated international law.
Russian forces do not fully control the areas annexed to the Russian Federation.
The total it annexed amounts to about 18 percent of Ukrainian territory, but the exact boundaries of these areas are unclear.
Maps presented by the Russian Defense Ministry yesterday showed rapid withdrawals of Russian forces in eastern and southern Ukraine, where they are under strong pressure from the Ukrainian counter-attack.
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