Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of martial law in four regions annexed by Russia from Ukraine raised questions about what those provisions are, the reasons for imposing them in the Ukrainian regions, and the extent of their impact on the Russian interior in light of the continuous military losses on the battlefield.
On Wednesday, Putin declared martial law in four Ukrainian regions unilaterally annexed by his country: Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, while the pro-Kremlin authorities in Kherson began withdrawing from the city in southern Ukraine whose forces are making progress.
why now?
Those four occupied territories in eastern and southern Ukraine are “focal points of the conflict,” according to the newspaper.Washington Post“.
Putin’s decision coincided with Ukraine’s announcement of dropping “several Russian missiles” over Kyiv on the third day in a row in the context of strikes launched by Russia with missiles and drones on the Ukrainian capital after a series of military setbacks for Moscow, according to “AFP”.
That move is “Putin’s latest escalation as his army continues to lose occupied territories,” and came in response to Kyiv’s continued successes in counterattacks, according to a newspaper report.Financial Times“.
What is martial law?
Under Russian law, martial law extends the powers of the military and law enforcement powers.
It allows the military to impose curfews, restrict freedom of movement, seize civilian property, monitor communications, and order citizens to rebuild destroyed cities.
“Martial law essentially means suspending the normal management of the economy and the rule of law,” said Max Bergmann, director of the Europe program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that it allows the military to seize civilian assets and buildings and deploy resources as needed.
The decree grants broader powers to limit the movement of transport to, from and in the areas and allows the evacuation of residents of these areas to “safe areas”, according to “AFP”.
Putin’s decree gives “local governments in each region of the country varying degrees of new authority to address security concerns,” according to a newspaper report.The Wall Street Journal“.
The application of martial law, which goes into effect on Thursday, gives Moscow-backed officials in the partially occupied territories a number of broad powers.
These provisions include “curfews, detention of up to 30 days for anyone, restrictions on freedom of movement, forced resettlement, and arrests of citizens of any country believed to be waging war against Russia,” according to the “Wall Street Journal.”
The newspaper describedThe GuardianThe British, these powers as “sweeping powers”, aim to maintain public order and increase production to support the Moscow war, which is entering its eighth month.
How will life change in the Ukrainian regions?
Moscow does not fully control the four regions, so it is unclear whether Russia will be able to effectively implement the provisions, or how it will differ from current conditions under military occupation, according to the Washington Post report.
According to Bergman, the decree amounts to “formalizing much of what was already happening on the ground,” stressing that it “eliminates the idea that these areas held elections.”
He said that Putin’s announcement represents “an important indication of the occupation of those areas militarily only,” adding that “the step is an opportunity to obtain more resources and mobilize them for Russian forces.”
When was the last time Moscow imposed martial law?
Moscow has not declared martial law since it was imposed by the Soviet Union, during World War II.
During the Soviet era, Russia fought a number of wars, but it did so through its regular forces, and it did not have to carry out the mass mobilization required now, according to the “Washington Post”.
“In the past few decades, Russia invaded neighboring Georgia and Ukraine, intervened in Syria, but those conflicts did not require mass mobilization,” Bergman says. “The Russian people were told that this was a special military operation and is now being mobilized like World War II.”
What is the broader impact of the decree?
In addition to declaring martial law, Putin has imposed “response levels” in 26 regions, including Moscow, and some experts point to “the broader ramifications of that move for Russia domestically.”
In Russian regions near or on the border with Ukraine such as Krasnodar, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Rostov, as well as Crimea, some wartime restrictions are imposed but a step less than the “maximum response” offered by the Kremlin in the occupied Ukrainian territories , according to The Washington Post.
“What we’re seeing is a kind of boiling strategy,” Bergman says. “Instead of announcing every major move that might overwhelm Russian public opinion, the idea is to roll it out gradually.”
The Financial Times points to a “vaguely worded point in the decree” that allows Putin to enact “other measures”, which raises the possibility that the Kremlin will put the whole of Russia at war.
Internal tension in Russia has been heightened by “heavy battlefield losses, as well as violent protests against Putin’s campaign to recruit 300,000 more men to fight in the conflict in Ukraine,” according to the Wall Street Journal.