Russia-installed administrators in occupied regions ask Putin to hastily incorporate them

Following hurriedly organised referendums that Ukraine and the West blasted as fraudulent, the Russian-installed administrators of Ukraine's Luhansk and Kherson regions have formally petitioned President Vladimir Putin to merge them into Russia.

Four occupied regions of Ukraine recorded resounding majorities in favour of joining Russia, according to Russian-installed officials.

The polls, according to the West, were a coercive exercise designed to give Russia a pretext to annex about 15 per centof Ukrainian land. If annexation plans advanced, the West threatened further penalties against Moscow.

According to officials, the four provinces' final vote totals on Tuesday ranged from 87 per centto 99.2 per centin favour of joining Russia.

Vladimir Saldo, the president of the Russian-occupied Kherson region of Ukraine, claimed in a message posted on his Telegram account that locals had taken "ahistoric choice" in favour of Russia.

If Russia annexes the four areas of Ukraine, Putin might frame any attempt by the Ukrainians to retake them as an assault on Russia, which would allow for a much more severe military reaction.

According to Russia, one of the reasons it engaged in Ukraine was to defend Russian-speaking citizens from persecution in the eastern Donbas region, which includes the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk.

This is rejected by Kyiv and the West as a fictitious excuse for a more extensive war of invasion.

(with inputs from agencies)