9:43pm: Russia vetoes UN Security Council resolution on annexation Russia has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning its annexations of Ukrainian territory, with China and India abstaining.8:42pm: Russians losing ground on battlefield as Putin proclaims annexation Reporting from Kyiv, FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg explains that even as Russian President Vladimir Putin was announcing the annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, Russian forces were losing ground on the battlefield near the strategic town of Lyman in Donetsk.5:47pm: NATO chief, US national security advisor discuss Russia's 'illegitimate' annexation NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan discussed concerns over Russia's attempted annexation of Ukraine territory and the apparent sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the White House said in a statement.5:36pm: Ukraine says 'nothing changes' after Russia's annexation Ukraine will continue liberating its territory occupied by Russia and Putin's annexation has changed "nothing", said Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in a Twitter post, echoing comments made in an interview with FRANCE 24 before the Kremlin ceremony.— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) September 30, 2022 4:30pm: US slaps 'severe' new sanctions on Russia after Putin's annexation The US has announced "severe" new sanctions against Russian officials and the country's defence industry in response to the Kremlin's declaration that it has annexed four areas of neighboring Ukraine."