🇺🇦 How will Russian annexation change the war in Ukraine? | The Stream

In the war in Ukraine, recent territorial gains by Ukrainian forces have now been overshadowed by the anticipated Russian annexation of large parts of the country's east that could lead to many more months of intensified fighting.

Earlier this month, a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in the northeastern region of Kharkiv resulted in the retreat of Russian troops and subsequent discovery of suspected Russian war crimes. Soon after, President Vladimir Putin called for roughly 300,000 reservists to join the war in a "partial mobilisation" mandate that triggered violence and unrest in some Russian towns.

This week, Moscow's "staged referendums" have paved the way for the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia. Declaring full Russian control in these areas - which make up about 15% of Ukraine - could set the stage for another escalation in the more than seven-month-old war. For Ukrainian men who remain in the area, many fear they will be conscripted into fighting a war against their own people.

In this episode of The Stream, we'll look at how Ukrainians are dealing with the latest shifts in the war.

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