Moscow, Aug 29 (TIWN) Russia appears to be laying the groundwork for annexing occupied parts of Ukraine by holding referenda.

Kremlin official Sergei Kiriyenko cited recent surveys on Sunday showing that support in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, collectively known as Donbas, for joining Russia is between 91 per cent and 92 per cent, reports dpa news agency.

In the recently conquered regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya, Kiriyenko said the level of support was between 75 per cent and 77 per cent.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has routinely said that if the people showed support for joining his country, then the Kremlin would respond.