Russia to start illegal annexations Friday

Russia says it will annex the four regions of Ukraine that were forced into sham elections.  

It's Julius with an update on Ukraine. 

Russia state media said President Vladimir Putin will make a speech at the Kremlin on Friday to begin the annexations, which are illegal under international law and call to mind Russia's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014.

Russian-installed Central Elections Committees said voter turnout exceeded 90% in Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia and was 79% in Kherson. All four provinces voted at least 87% in favor of joining Russia, the officials said. No credible international monitors observed the votes.

In-person voting was held only Tuesday, the last day of voting. From Friday through Monday, election commission staffers walked their precincts with portable ballot boxes from house to house – accompanied by armed troops, the The Associated Press reported – or set up temporary outdoor voting outlets in the neighborhoods.

Luhansk's Ukrainian Gov. Serhiy Haidai said his region had 1.8 million registered voters in 2012 and the Russians "brought'' 1.66 million to the staged referendums even though at least half the urban population has left since the war started.

The U.S. has proposed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the votes, while Ukraine has called for tougher sanctions against Russia while vowing to reclaim the provinces. EU officials said they're looking into imposing "biting sanctions.''

• A fourth leak in a major natural gas pipeline was reported Thursday. NATO said sabotage is behind the damage, calling it "deliberate, reckless and irresponsible."
• Russian troops crashed two of the seven Russian tanks sent to Lyman on the way to the city, the Ukrainian military’s general staff said.