Four occupied Ukraine regions plan imminent ‘votes’ on joining Russia

Referendum' announcements in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson may indicate move to annex territories

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

Four Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine have said they are planning to hold referendums" on joining the Russian Federation in a series of coordinated announcements that could indicate the Kremlin has made a decision to formally annex the territories.

Moscow may be betting that a formal annexation would help halt Russian territorial losses, after a successful Ukrainian counter-offensive that has reclaimed large portions of territory in the Kharkiv region.