Citizens in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson were said to have voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining—results the U.S. State Department and democracy advocates described as a “sham.”

However, following Putin’s decree and signing on September 30, 2022, of annexation documents, there is still dispute over just how much of these regions Russian forces hold on to.

The Claim

Multiple tweets sent ahead of Putin’s decree to recognize the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, on September 30 claim that Russia does not have full control over the regions it wants to bring under its control.

In one of those tweets, CNN global affairs analyst Bianna Golodryga wrote: “Here’s the problem for the Kremlin: Russia doesn’t fully control these territories, and Ukraine is only going to double down on its already aggressive counteroffensives.”

The Facts

The four regions that Russia is expected to annex—Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk—were subject to a series of illegitimate referendums, which the Russians falsely claim give them formal grounds for annexation.

However, even as Putin lays claim on the regions, not one of them is currently under full control occupied by Russian forces, with some areas that remained outside Russia’s reach and others recently reclaimed by Ukrainian counteroffensives.

The Institute for the Study of War with AEI’s Critical Threats Project charts information on the regions under Ukraine or Russia’s control, as well as “no man’s land,” where significant fighting has taken place in the past 24 hours.

It shows that despite Putin’s false assertion of control over the regions, Russian forces do not even occupy all of the territories that the federation has laid claim to.

As of September 29, 2022, areas to the north and northwest of Kherson have been reclaimed in Ukrainian counter-offensives, while reports show that Ukrainian forces have also retaken some territory in the southeast of Luhansk.

Furthermore, most of the north of Zaporizhzhia, including the eponymous capital, are still outside of Russia’s control, while Melitopol and areas around it remain engaged in Ukrainian partisan warfare.

Intense fighting continues over Western towns in Donetsk, including a key strategic city of Lyman, where Russian troops are reportedly surrounded.

While Putin’s forces are in control of large parts of the four regions, the annexations Russia has claimed appear to be in places where they still lack total military control.

Nonetheless, the Kremlin has claimed the seizure of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia under the Russian Federation, even as Ukrainian forces stage counteroffensives.

Moscow has given no clear indication yet as to how it plans to deal with the areas it does not control, or that are retaken by Ukrainian forces.

Under the Kremlin’s plan, the annexation would incorporate key parts of Ukraine’s eastern industrial Donbas region and southwestern Black Sea coastline, connecting Russia to Crimea by land.

Putin has claimed it would also make the four regions subject to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which, in addition to responding to a ballistic missile or nuclear attack against the nation, allows the Kremlin to use nuclear weapons in the event of a challenge to “territorial integrity.”

Ukrainian officials in response called the comments “nuclear blackmail.”

In the next few days, the Constitutional Court of Russia is set to approve the annexations, followed by agreements and amendments by the state Duma to increase the federation’s territory.

The Russian Ministry of Defense and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense have been contacted for comment.

The Ruling

True.

Russia does not have full military control in any of the four regions it has illegitimately annexed under federation control. Ukrainian forces have already made advances into Luhansk and Kherson, while most of the north of Zaporizhzhia remains outside of Russian military control, according to data supplied from the frontline of the conflict and intelligence specialists. Intense battles are also raging over Lyman, Donetsk region.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek’s Fact Check team