Attendees begin to arrive at Putin’s annexation ceremony in the Kremlin
Workers locate a banner that reads “Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporiyia, Jershon – Russia!” in downtown Moscow on September 29, 2022. (Credit: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)
Guests and dignitaries have begun arriving for a ceremony in the Kremlin during which Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to formally annex more areas of Ukraine occupied by his country, the state-run Russia 24 channel reported.
The ceremony is expected to start at 3:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. ET) in the Kremlin’s St. George Hall.
Dignitaries include Members of Parliament and government ministers. Also the four heads, installed by Russia, of the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, and of the occupied parts of the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin are also at the ceremony.
In addition, members of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived, according to the Russia 24 video.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, 75, is unlikely to attend as he has a Covid-19 infection, the state news agency TASS said on Friday, citing the Moscow Patriarchate.
“All trips and meetings of Patriarch Kirill, scheduled for the next few days, have been canceled due to the covid-19 infection, which has strong symptoms and requires bed rest and self-isolation,” spokesman Vladimir Legoyda said, according to TASS.
