President of Russia Vladimir Putin said that referendum results in the Ukrainian territories that are occupied by Russian forces have surprised him.
"Frankly speaking, the results of the referendums did not only satisfy but also surprised me, as people there lived and continue to live in harsh conditions…the result is, of course, more than convincing, absolutely transparent and is not subject to any doubt," Putin said, according to RIA Novosti.
Referendums were held from September 23-27 in the occupied territories in Ukraine of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, to annex the territories to Russia.
According to Russia's results, 87-99% of the population voted in favor of the annexation.
On September 30, Putin signed the agreement on the integration into Russia of the territories, claiming that the residents of these areas were now Russian citizens.
