Pro-Russian authorities have held so-called referendums in four regions of Ukraine over recent days and, while the votes are illegal and have been universally dismissed as “a sham” by Ukraine and Western nations, there are fears that they could create a pretext for a new, dangerous stage in the war.

(SOURCE) https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/27/europe/ukraine-russia-referendum-explainer-intl/index.html