Putin Declares Martial Law in Held Ukrainian Territories
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Putin is doubling down on the regions that were illegally annexed.
Last month, the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia were subjected to staged “referendums” to essentially force their annexation by Russia. Analysts suspect that this move was taken by Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to justify his use of increasing force to “protect” territory that “belongs” to Russia. Ukraine has not taken this lying down, pushing back against the Russian line with a fierce counteroffensive, pushing further into the annexed regions.
As the Ukrainian military comes closer to retaking the regions, Putin has sought to keep the areas firmly under his control. To this end, he announced this morning that he has officially declared martial law in all four territories, to go into effect starting Thursday.
“We are working to solve very difficult large-scale tasks to ensure Russia’s security and safe future, to protect our people,” Putin said in televised meeting of Russia’s Security Council. “Those who are on the frontlines or undergoing training at firing ranges and training centers should feel our support and know that they have our big, great country and unified people behind their back.”
BREAKING: Russian President Putin declares martial law in the four regions of Ukraine illegally annexed by Moscow last month, as his military struggles to maintain its grip on territory amid Ukrainian advances. https://t.co/aVzW6gVjR1
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 19, 2022
“Now we need to formalize this regime within the framework of Russian legislation. Therefore, I signed a decree on the introduction of martial law in these four subjects of the Russian Federation,” Putin announced.
This move follows other, similarly intense decisions on Russia’s part. For the past week, Russian missiles and drones have been targeting civilian residencies and utilities. By the estimate of Ukrainian officials, approximately 30% of their territories have been left without power as a direct result of these attacks.
