Vladimir Putin has declared martial law in the four provinces of Ukraine where it controls territory after Russian officials warned of a looming Ukrainian assault on the key southern city of Kherson. The law, published on the Kremlin website, gives far-reaching emergency powers to the Russian-installed heads of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces, which Russia recently proclaimed as annexed after sham referendums.
Putin also ordered an “economic mobilisation” in eight provinces bordering Ukraine. The measures apply to the southern regions of Krasnodar, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk and Rostov, which are all near Ukraine, and the territories of Crimea and Sevastopol, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014. Putin said he was granting additional authority to the leaders of all Russian provinces to maintain public order and increase production in support of Moscow’s war, which is entering its eighth month.
The Russian-installed leader of the occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson, said Wednesday that authorities plan a mass removal of 50-60,000 people over the next six days. Vladimir Saldo said authorities were moving civilians to the left bank of the Dnipro in order to “keep people safe” and allow the military to “act resolutely”.
Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-installed deputy administrator of the Kherson region, echoed the message on Telegram late on Tuesday: “The battle for Kherson will begin in the very near future. The civilian population is advised, if possible, to leave the area of the upcoming fierce hostilities.”
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, described the Russian announcements as “a propaganda show”. He said “The Russians are trying to scare the people of Kherson with fake newsletters about the shelling of the city by our army, and also arrange a propaganda show with evacuation”. He described it as “a rather primitive tactic, given that the armed forces do not fire at Ukrainian cities – this is done exclusively by Russian terrorists”.
