The leaders of the four self-proclaimed pro-Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions declared their intention to conduct "referendums" on their regions joining the Russian Federation from Sept. 23-27, Reuters reported Sept. 20. On the same day, Russia's Duma approved adjustments to the criminal codex introducing the concepts of "mobilization," "martial law" and "wartime," imposing up to 15 years in prison for desertion and up to three years for contract soldiers refusing to deploy to Ukraine.