Putin declares martial law in four occupied regions as Kyiv presses offensive

By Uliana Pavlova

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that he has signed a law introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions the Kremlin claims to have annexed, in violation of international law.

The regions are Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia does not control the entirety of those regions and is in a hasty retreat in Kherson after Ukrainian forces regained territory there.

But Putin nonetheless said he would impose the policy during a scheduled Security Council meeting. Martial law will come into effect in those regions on Thursday, his decree stated.

Russian-installed leaders in Kherson region earlier Wednesday began massively ramping up the relocation of up to 60,000 people amid warnings over Russia’s ability to withstand a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

“In this regard, let me remind you that in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Luhansk People’s Republic, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, martial law was in effect before joining Russia,” Putin said during a televised address.

“Now we need to formalize this regime within the framework of Russian legislation,” he said.

“Therefore, I signed a decree on the introduction of martial law in these four subjects of the Russian Federation, so it will be immediately sent to the Federation Council,” Putin said.

Russia’s Federation Council will consider Putin’s decree on martial law in the regions as soon as possible, said Andrei Klishas, chairman of the Federation Council committee on constitutional legislation, in a statement on his Telegram channel.

Putin signed a second decree on Wednesday which, among other things, imposes restrictions on movement in and out of eight regions adjoining Ukraine.

According to the decree, which was published on the Kremlin’s website, among the measures are “strengthening the protection of public order and ensuring public security, the protection of military, important state and special facilities, facilities that ensure the vital activity of the population, the functioning of transport, communications and communications, energy facilities, as well as facilities that pose an increased danger to human life and health and to the natural environment.”

It also includes the “introduction and maintenance of a special regime for entry into and exit from the territory, as well as restriction of freedom of movement on it.”

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