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What had Moscow claimed by 10 October 2022?
Summary
A look back at the Russian accusations and annexation steps that framed 10 October 2022.
What was the political picture on 10 October 2022? It was shaped by two developments in the days before: Moscow's formal annexation of four Ukrainian regions and its public accusation over the Crimean Bridge explosion.
Annexation completed on paper
On 4 October 2022, the Federation Council of Russia unanimously approved the annexation of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. The annexation documents were then due to receive final signing by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
That signing came on 5 October 2022. Putin signed a law formally annexing the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia into Russia.
The bridge accusation
On 9 October 2022, Putin formally accused Ukraine, and specifically the Security Service of Ukraine, of being behind the explosion on the Crimean Bridge. The blast killed three people and partially destroyed part of the bridge. Putin described the explosion as an act of terrorism.
Taken together, the two strands set the political backdrop on 10 October 2022: a signed Russian annexation law covering four regions of Ukraine, and a direct public charge from Russia's president against a Ukrainian state security body over the bridge blast.
