Russia declares martial law in occupied Ukrainian regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered law enforcement to create territorial defense forces for parts of Ukraine that it partially occupies and claims to have annexed. The decree will go into effect Thursday, but Putin did not detail everything it would involve. It could include restrictions on travel and public gatherings, along with tighter censorship and more authority for law enforcement. At the same time, Russia is evacuating people from the port city of Kherson, where Ukraine has taken back some of the surrounding territory. 

Does the decree affect Russia itself? Putin also ordered martial law to be implemented in Russia “when necessary.” It puts several regions on “medium alert level,” which restricts movement and transportation and also says that the population may need to move. The order doesn’t anticipate Russia closing its borders, Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a state news agency. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Myrna Brown’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about Ukrainian troops advancing in eastern Ukraine.