Four regions of Ukraine to become part of Russia as referendums conclude

Voting concluded Tuesday in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) on a referendum, with 99.23% choosing reunification with Russia, according to the final results, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported.

Shortly before the announcement of the final vote count, the UN's political chief said that Russian-backed referendums in Ukraine's occupied territories are "not a genuine expression of popular will" or "legal" under international law.

NATO countries have dismissed the votes as a ‘sham.’ They say they are illegal, under Ukrainian and international law.

Ukraine and NATO countries say these elections are illegitimate. And Russia is as yet the only country to declare these votes legitimate.

Regardless of whether the West sees the referendum as legitimate or not, in the coming days, Russia will likely announce that these regions are now part of the Russian Federation, ushering in a new stage in the Russia-Ukraine war.

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