Putin Signs Annexation Laws, Formally Absorbing 4 Ukrainian Regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during a ceremony formally annexing four regions of Ukraine under Russian troops' control at the Kremlin in Moscow on Sept. 30, 2022. Grigory Sysoyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

KYIV, Ukraine—Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed laws formally absorbing four Ukrainian regions into Russia.

The documents finalizing the annexation were published on a Russian government website on Wednesday morning.