Vladimir Putin will sign a formal annexation of four more areas of Ukraine. It comes after self-styled referendums were held in Luhansk and Donetsk in the east, and in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south

The move has been condemned by Ukraine and the West as a sham, with Russian-backed officials claiming that the exercise secured almost total popular support.

It’s the latest development in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine – as Putin uses a similar playbook to his annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Since then, tensions have remained high, with both sides regularly exchanging fire.

Putin has shown no signs of backing down. But neither is Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Presidentsays the “pseudo-referendums” are worthless and don’t change reality.

No independent monitoring of the Russian process took place.

The US says it will impose sanctions on Russia because of the staged referendums, while EU member states are considering an eighth round of measures, including sanctions on anyone involved in the votes.

Russia does not fully control any of the four regions it has decided to annex. Although most of Luhansk remains in Russian hands, Moscow only controls 60% of Donetsk.

The move is likely to deepen the divide between Russia and the West.

Seven months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine from the north, east and south, war is still raging on front lines in all four areas.