Russia’s annexation votes in Ukraine to come to a close

The four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine announced that they would hold the elections just days before voting began on last Friday

Annexation polls were due to close on Tuesday in Kremlin-controlled regions of Ukraine, as officials in Moscow repeated warnings that Russia could use nuclear weapons to defend the territories from Ukrainian counter-attacks.

Kyiv and its allies have denounced the votes as a sham and said the West would never recognise the results of the ballots that have dramatically ratcheted up the stakes of Russia's seven-month invasion.

Kremlin-installed officials in the four regions have said the outcome could be announced as early as on Tuesday evening or on Wednesday.

"Saving people in the territories where this referendum is taking place... is the focus of the attention of our entire society and of the entire country," Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a televised meeting with officials.

His spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the votes would have "radical" legal implications and that the so-called referendums "will also have consequences for security", referring again to Moscow's threats to use nuclear weapons to defend its territory.

Russian forces in Ukraine this month have suffered serious setbacks, both in the east and south of the country, which observers say pushed Mr. Putin to rush ahead with the vote to cement Moscow's authority there.

Mr. Putin said Russia would use any and all available means to defend its territory, implying that after the four regions were annexed Moscow could deploy strategic nuclear weapons to repulse Ukrainian attempts to take back the territory.