Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts
annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia oblasts into the Russian Federation in September 2022 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 30 September 2022, Vladimir Putin said that four Ukrainian oblasts would now be part of Russia. These are the oblasts Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. These oblasts make up about 15% of the territory of Ukraine. Before the annexation, the people were asked if they wanted to join Russia. Because this vote happened during a conflict, and was done by one of the parties involved in the conflict, it is against international law.[3] Because of the conflict, much of the population had left.[4]
Part of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and Russo-Ukrainian War | |
Date | 30 September 2022 |
---|---|
Location | Southern and Eastern Ukraine |
Organised by | Russian Federation |
Outcome |
|
This annexation is the largest in Europe, beating Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.[5] It also made a land connection between Crimea and European Russia.[6]
Because of the problems involved, no other state recognized this annexation except for North Korea.[7] Ukraine, the European Union, the United States, and the United Nations have all said that the referendums and annexation had no legal basis or effect.[8]
As a response to the annexation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would apply to join NATO.[9]
The size of the territory annexed is about 90,000 km2 (35,000 sq mi), comparable to the size of Hungary or Portugal.[10]
On 27 September, Russian officials claimed that the annexation "referendum" in Zaporizhzhia Oblast passed, with 93.11% of voters in favour of joining the Russian Federation.[11]
Another problem is that fighting is still ongoing, and Russian forces do not control all of the territory they claim they annexed.