Russia announced that referendums would be held in Donetsk and Luhansk People Republics as well as Kherson on their independence as soon as this weekend, according to news agency Interfax. Ukraine and its allies denounced the referendums as illegal, and few countries are likely to recognize the results. Russian-backed officials in Zaporizhzhia, where they do not even hold the regional capital, still vowed to move quickly toward a vote.