How the administrative structure of modern Russia has changed

After eight years of hostilities in the Donbass and the start of the Russian special operation, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), at that time already recognized by the Russian Federation as independent states, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, which separated from Ukraine in result referendum on September 23–27, 2022. The DPR voted to join Russia 99.2% participants in the plebiscite with a turnout of 97.5%, in the LPR – 98.4% voters (turnout – 92.6%), in the Zaporozhye region – 93.1% (85.4%), in the Kherson region – 87.1% (76.7%). Officially, the new territories became subjects of the Russian Federation September 30, 2022.

At the moment, their integration into the legal and economic system of the Russian Federation continues. On September 10, 2023, according to Russian legislation, regional parliaments were elected there, which a little later approved Denis Pushilin (DPR), Leonid Pasechnik (LPR), Evgeniy Balitsky (Zaporozhye region) and Vladimir Saldo (Kherson region) to the gubernatorial posts.