SIMFEROPOL, May 31. /TASS/. The authorities of the Kherson region intend to raise the issue of the region entering the Russian Federation in the near future in order for it to become Russia’s full-fledged territorial entity, Kirill Stremousov, Deputy Head of the Kherson region’s Military-Civilian Administration told TASS on Tuesday.

"The Kherson region intends to accede to the Russian Federation in the near future, becoming its full-fledged constituent," the official said.

The situation at the Donbass engagement line flared up on February 17. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a decision to recognize the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. The treaties on friendship, cooperation and mutual aid were signed with their leaders. On February 22, the State Duma and the Federation Council ratified both documents and Putin signed the respective laws on the same day. Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.