Vladimir Putin instituted martial law in the annexed territories

Faced with a push from the Ukrainian military, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, October 19, ordered the imposition of martial law in the four Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, partially occupied by Moscow and officially annexed by the Russian Federation. In September.

During his televised Security Council meeting, Mr. Putin announced the move. Martial law will come into effect from midnight on Thursday “empty”Ukrainian diplomacy reacted.

These territories “Had instituted martial law before joining the Russian Federation, but [il était] It is necessary to formalize this regime by following Russian law, Mr. Putin said. Kiev justified this move by saying that it refused to negotiate with Moscow “Bombing” The public in these areas.

“Neo-Nazis [Ukrainiens] They openly use terrorist methods. (…) They send teams of saboteurs into our territory.He added with particular condemnation Attack on the Crimean Bridge And “Nuclear Infrastructure”without specifying which ones.

Improved security regime

According to the published decree, the Russian government must propose concrete measures to be applied in these regions within three days. The Russian Constitution provides a series of provisions in the event of the establishment of martial law (This is mentioned in Section 87): Strengthening of security measures, curfew, ban on public gatherings, evacuation of strategic institutions, ban on leaving the concerned territories, quarantine of foreign nationals, establishment of military censorship on telecommunications …

Vladimir Putin now finds himself “Incredibly difficult situation”, White House Joe Biden commented. “It appears that the only tool left at his disposal is the persecution of Ukrainian citizens.” order “Bullying them into submission, but that’s not what they’re going to do”The President of the United States added.

The A decree signed by Mr Putin It also establishes an enhanced security regime entitled “Intermediate Reaction Regime”, on the Crimean Peninsula, annexed in 2014, and in the Russian oblasts of Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh and Kursk located near Ukraine. In the Central Federal District, where the capital Moscow is located, according to this decree, a reinforced warning system has also been established.

This strengthened regime in Moscow will not lead “at this point” Daily change for residents of the Russian capital, said its mayor Sergey Sobyanin. “There is no measure to control the pace of normal life in the city”He pointed out. “On the Use of Orders [signés par M. Poutine]We will take necessary steps to improve civilian facilities and security (…) Reviews »The Moscow mayor said that police presence is already important.

Kherson residents fear “deportation”.

In addition, the Russian administration of the Ukrainian region of Kherson confirmed on Wednesday that the evacuation of civilians had begun. She plans to move “50,000 to 60,000” For days on the other bank of the Dnieper, the Russian military has been struggling to contain a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the region.

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the Ukrainian National Defense and Security Council, we are witnesses “Preparation for Mass Deportation of Ukrainian Population” to Russia “To transform the ethnic composition of the Occupied Territories”. “A crime to be condemned by the United Nations and it has already been committed in Crimea”he added.

“Russia Is Deporting Like Soviet Era”For his part, Serguy Klahn announced that he is the Ukrainian vice-president for the region. Kherson and its purpose is to create an image of a kind of panic [pour alimenter] campaign” Russian. “If you look at the list of things that the crew recommends to take with them, it’s a list of things for a one-way trip”And Mr. Condemning the Klan, he said that, according to him, the residents of Kherson would not be deported to the Crimean Peninsula bordering the region, but to Krasnodar in the Kuban in Russia itself.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned residents of the annexed regions against the Russian military’s forced recruitment campaign. “Try to leave the occupied territory. If you can’t do that, if you end up in Russian military units, put down your weapons at the first opportunity and try to move towards Ukrainian positions.He began.