Russian President Vladimir Putin falsely proclaimed four Ukrainian regions as part of the Russian Federation, a move that comes amid Moscow's growing battlefield setbacks in its war in Ukraine and a decision to call up tens of thousands of reservists. Putin claimed the illegal annexations were "the will of millions of people" despite widespread reports of voter coercion and people being pressured at gunpoint. The illegal occupation could potentially raise the stakes of Russia's seven-month-old war in Ukraine because Putin vowed to defend the annexed territories with "all available means," a veiled reference to his insistence he would be prepared to use nuclear weapons if Russia's territory is threatened. #russia #ukraine #putin