Russian President Vladimir Putin will annex the four occupied Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia - to Russia today at 14 pm CET, in a ceremony in the Great Hall in the Kremlin.

The spokesman of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, announced yesterday that Putin will sign the annexation documents in the presence of the leaders of the four regions appointed by Moscow, and then he will give a speech, while a concert on Red Square is planned for tonight.

Last night, Putin signed the decrees on the recognition of Kherson and Zaporozhye as independent states, which is a prerequisite for the regions to apply for joining the Russian Federation. Luhansk and Donetsk regions have already been recognized by him as independent states since February of this year, when Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian occupation authorities in the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson last week held referendums on leaving Ukraine and joining Russia. There were reports that citizens were forced to vote, sometimes at gunpoint.

Ukraine and Western powers condemned the five-day vote that ended on Tuesday, saying their result of more than 99 percent support for secession would never be internationally recognized.

The Russian leader said last week that Moscow would regard Ukrainian attacks on annexed regions as attacks on Russia itself and would use all means to defend them - deepening concerns that Russia could use its nuclear weapons.