The Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s Luhansk region has today formally asked Vladimir Putin to incorporate the occupied area into the Russia Federation following the referendum votes which ended on Tuesday.

Moscow said on Wednesday morning that Luhansk along with three other regions in the east have all voted in favour to join Russia following the “sham” referendums.

Separatist leader Leonid Pasechnik said, “Taking into account the fact that the population of the republic approved the decision in the referendum, I ask you to consider the issue of Luhansk People’s Republic becoming a part of Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation.”

The Russian-backed administration in Kherson have also claimed that the votes received point to the region joining the Russian Federation.

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The Ukrainian have insisted on Wednesday morning that the referendums in four occupied regions are “null and worthless” to join Russia.

The chance of there now being a nuclear attack in the Ukraine have now dramatically risen and the governor of Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, warned that launching a nuclear weapon will “plunge them (Russia) into an abyss.”

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the United Nation General Assembly last week that any region which is annexed by Moscow will come “under full protection,” meaning an attack on those areas is an attack on Russian soil.

Lavrov  was asked at the conference if Russia has grounds to use nuclear weapons to defend the annexed regions.

The Russian Foreign Minister said that all territory will be “further enshrined” into their constitution.

Lavrov told the UN assembly, “All of the laws, doctrines, concepts and strategies of the Russian Federation apply to all of its territory,” referring specifically to the doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons.

On Tuesday evening Moscow claimed that Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia had all voted to join the Russian Federation whereby they will be protected by Moscow.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Kyiv will continue with their counteroffensive to liberate Ukrainian territory which is occupied by Russian forces which is also feared that Russia will annex the regions in a matter of days.

“Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine,” Ukraine said.

The statement added, “Ukraine and the international community condemn such actions of Russia and consider them null and worthless.

“Ukraine has every right to restore its territorial integrity by military and diplomatic means, and will continue to liberate the temporarily occupied territories.

“Ukraine will never agree to any Russian ultimatums. Moscow’s attempts to create new separation lines or weaken international support for Ukraine are doomed to fail.”