MOSCOW - Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, ratified agreements on the accession of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson to Russia, it said on Monday in a statement.

Members of the State Duma unanimously voted in favor of the legislation.

The accession to Russia is a way to protect the rights of the people living in these territories, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said in a Telegram post following the vote.

He stressed that "the goals and objectives of the special military operation have been defined, they will be achieved without fail".

A ceremony was held on Friday for the signing of treaties to incorporate Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson into the Russian Federation.