Ukraine war: Putin signs Ukraine annexation laws amid to military setbacks

 Ukraine war: Putin signs Ukraine annexation laws amid to military setbacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed final papers to annex four regions of Ukraine - even as his military faces further setbacks.

The documents state that the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions are "accepted into the Russian Federation".

But in two of those regions - Luhansk and Kherson - Ukraine said it was taking back more villages.

Mr. Putin also signed a decree formalizing Russia's seizure of the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya.

Last Friday, the Russian leader held a grand ceremony in the Kremlin, where he signed agreements with Moscow-founded leaders of the four regions.

The move followed a self-declared referendum in the regions, which was denounced as a "sham" by the West.

But a different reality appears on the ground, with Ukrainian forces making gains both in the south and east.

Serhi Haidai, the Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, told the BBC on Wednesday that six villages in the region had been recaptured.

And President Zelensky later said that Ukraine had liberated three more villages in the southern region of Kherson.

This was followed by a series of gains on the previous day in Kherson, including the strategically important village of Davydov Bridge.

Meanwhile, in the southern city of Zaporizhzhya there was a series of massive explosions an hour or two before dawn.

Local officials say seven Russian missiles hit residential buildings and people were buried under the rubble. There is no information about casualties yet.

BBC correspondent Paul Adams in the city says rescue workers are searching the broken remains of a beautiful five-story apartment building in the heart of the city.

Zaporizhzhya was rocked by a series of large explosions an hour or so before dawn on Thursday

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would reclaim any territory that was lost to Ukrainian forces.

Facing questions over the recent losses, he told reporters: "There is no contradiction here. They will always be with Russia, they will be returned."

In his speech to teachers on Russian Teachers' Day, Mr Putin said he would "peacefully develop" the enclosed areas.

But the chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrey Kartopolov, told state media that Russia needed to stop lying about what was happening on the battlefield, adding that the Russians were not fools.

Russia is still working to mobilize reservists, after Mr Putin announced a call-up last month of 300,000 people completing mandatory military service.

But after strong protests and protests in Russia against the move, Mr Putin backtracked on which groups would be affected.

He has signed a decree granting exemptions to several categories of students, including first-time students in accredited institutions and certain types of postgraduate students – such as those in the sciences.

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In another move, President Putin has signed a decree formalizing the seizure of a nuclear power plant by Russia in one of the annexed territories - Zaporizhzhya - which has been occupied by Russian troops since the early days of the war.

Russia says the plant - Europe's largest nuclear facility - will be operated by a new company, but Ukraine's nuclear operator has dismissed the move as "useless".

Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, IAEA, has said he will consult with both sides after the development.

He is going to Kyiv and then to Moscow, seeking to establish a security zone around the plant, which is located near the front line of battle.