Putin signs annexation of Ukrainian regions as losses mount

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the final papers on Wednesday to annex four regions of Ukraine while his military struggled to control the new territory that was added in violation of international laws.

Ukrainian law enforcement officials, meanwhile, reported discovering more evidence of torture and killings in areas retaken from Russian forces.