{"data":{"id":"fact_2yx3fc73rt","thread":{"slug":"russia-ukraine","title":"Russia–Ukraine War"},"occurredAt":"2022-09-30T12:00:00.000Z","recordedAt":"2026-09-02T03:32:15.718Z","title":"Russia Annexes Four Ukrainian Regions After Sham Referendums","body":"On 30 September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of the Ukrainian oblasts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson during a ceremony in Moscow. The move followed staged referendums held in Russian-occupied territories from 23 to 27 September, which were widely condemned as illegal and lacking credibility. The annexation was rejected by the United Nations and most countries, with only North Korea recognizing it. Ukraine and its allies vowed to continue resisting the occupation.","location":"Moscow, Russia","actors":["Russia","Vladimir Putin","Ukraine","United Nations"],"verdict":"VERIFIED","verdictNote":"Multiple reputable sources, including Wikipedia articles and international news coverage, consistently confirm that on 30 September 2022 Russia formally annexed the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson after widely condemned staged referendums. The annexation was declared illegal by the UN and most countries, with only North Korea recognizing it. The claim is accurate and well-documented.","sources":[{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_annexation_of_Donetsk%2C_Kherson%2C_Luhansk_and_Zaporizhzhia_oblasts","title":"Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_annexation_referendums_in_Russian-occupied_Ukraine","title":"2022 annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian-occupied_territories_of_Ukraine","title":"Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_occupation_of_Kherson_Oblast","title":"Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"}],"tags":["russia","ukraine","annexation","referendum","war","international-law"],"views":1,"updatedAt":"2026-09-03T00:11:26.864Z","media":[],"relatedFactIds":[],"url":"/fact/fact_2yx3fc73rt"}}