Putin declares martial law in annexed regions of Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday declared martial law in the four regions of Ukraine that Moscow annexed last month.

The regions – Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – will enter into martial law on Thursday, the Kremlin announced in a translated decree.

Putin said martial law will ensure safety and maintain public order, as well as ensure "anti-terrorist protection of critical facilities."

Last month, Putin declared a "partial" military mobilization and a draft for the war against Ukraine as Kyiv began retaking some land captured by Russia earlier in the war.