The Russian offensive continues eight months later in Ukraine and this Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin has decreed martial law in the four annexed Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Lugansk, Jershon and Zaporiyia.
Putin made the announcement at the beginning of the Russian Security Council meeting and just hours after the new head of the Russian Army in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, admitted the difficulties of his troops in the face of the Ukrainian defense.
The Russian president has accused Kyiv of rejecting "any negotiation proposal" and has advanced that the martial law decree will enter into force in the four annexed regions this Thursday. But what does the application of said law mean?
Martial law consists of an exception from the application of ordinary legal norms through which extraordinary powers are granted to the army or the police of a country or region in terms of the administration of jurisdiction and protection of public order.
Normally, it is decreed in the event of a war conflict, when there is a need classified as "urgent" and, therefore, when it is considered necessary to support the activities of military authorities and organizations and, consequently, give them more functions and responsibilities than they had until then.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, wanted to remind today's Security Council that in the four annexed Ukrainian regions "there was already, before Russia's entry, a martial law regime". "And now we have to formalize this regime, already within our legislation", he stated.
Also this Wednesday, Vladimir Putin accused the Ukrainian authorities of being "Hitler's accomplices" and assured that they resort to "terrorist methods" to terrorize the population of the territories occupied by Moscow in the east and south of Ukraine.
Russia is not the only country to have declared martial law in the course of invading Ukraine. A few days after the conflict broke out, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, imposed this law throughout the country and called up all reservists after the beginning of the so-called "military operation" perpetrated by Russia.
Subsequently, the Ukrainian Parliament approved the presidential decree that gave special powers to the armed and security forces to preserve order in times of crisis, just what martial law allows.
