Russia will annex four more regions of Ukraine in a ceremony set for Friday, the Kremlin has said. Meanwhile, Sweden says there is another leak in gas pipelines running from Russia to Europe.

Four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine (Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia) that held so-called "referendums" on joining Russia will be incorporated into the country on Friday, the Kremlin said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend a ceremony in the Kremlin at which they will be officially folded into Russia.

Peskov told reporters that the heads of the four regions will sign treaties to join Russia during Friday's ceremony at the Kremlin's St. George's Hall.

Putin will also give a major speech following the signing ceremony in the Kremlin and will meet with Moscow-appointed administrators of the regions.

Ukraine and the West have denounced the votes as a sham and said they will never recognize the Ukrainian regions as being part of Russia.

DW