President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that Russia would impose martial law in the four regions in Ukraine he illegally annexed last month, as his military struggles to maintain its grip on territory amid Ukrainian advances.
Therefore, I signed a decree on the introduction of martial law in these four subjects of the Russian Federation,” Putin said on national television.
Despite these criticisms, Putin went ahead with formal annexation of the four regions at the end of September.
On Wednesday, Putin also signed an order introducing some elements of wartime measures to regions bordering Ukraine — such as Crimea, Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, and Rostov, among others.
Several of the regions have been important staging areas for Russia’s war in Ukraine and in recent weeks have come under increasing Ukrainian fire.