Russian President Vladimir Putin could make an announcement later today about the "change in the status of the special operation" in Ukraine, independent news outlet Readovka reported on Wednesday.
The move would come after Putin signed into law the accession of four Ukrainian regions to Russia following referendums in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which Ukraine and the West branded as "sham" votes.
Russia launched the military operation in Ukraine in February, and while the West has been referring to the conflict as "war," Moscow has insisted on the term "special operation."
