Russia Declares Martial Law In Four Regions of Donetsk and Lugansk and Kherson and etc
Martial law in annexed regions – Putin
- Russian President Vladimir Putin declares martial law in four “annexed” regions of Ukraine.
- The new Russian commander, Sergei Surovikin, says the situation is “tense” for his forces, especially around Kherson.
Martial law decree ‘does not change anything’: Zelenskyy’s adviser
Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, condemned Putin’s martial law order as “pseudo-legalisation”.
On Twitter, the adviser wrote, “‘Martial law’ implementation on the occupied territories by RF should be considered only as a pseudo-legalization of looting of Ukrainians’ property by another “regrouping”. This does not change anything for Ukraine: we continue the liberation and de-occupation of our territories.”
Experts, media on Putin’s martial law announcement
As Putin announced martial law in the four “annexed” regions, experts and journalists called the move a “clear response to recent military setbacks.”
Max Seddon, the FT’s Moscow bureau chief, tweeted, “Putin says he’s introducing martial law in the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions he annexed last month. This is portrayed as a technicality – he said it de facto already exists – but is a clear response to recent military setbacks as Ukraine’s counteroffensive advances.”
Felix Light, Reuters correspondent, said, “Creeping martial law in Russia: the full-fat version introduced in the four annexed Ukrainian regions; ‘economic mobilisation’ and curbs on freedom of movement brought in in 6 regions along Ukrainian border, plus Crimea.”
Another Moscow correspondent from the Reuters news agency, James Cordell, also tweeted about the new announcement saying: “The Kremlin’s actual decrees go much further than Putin let on in his speech (as usual) on martial law, outlining sweeping new security measures, movement restrictions, vehicle checks and wholesale “economic mobilisation” across much of western & southern Russia.”
While Eugene Finkle, a professor at John Hopkins university, said, “Martial law in exile, enforced by occupation administration in exile.”
Israel will not send weapons to Ukraine: Israeli defence minister
Israel will not send weapons to Ukraine, Minister of Defence Benny Gantz said, two days after Russia warned that an Israeli move to bolster Kyiv’s forces would severely damage relations.
“Our policy vis-a-vis Ukraine will not change – we will continue to support and stand with the West, we will not provide weapon systems,” Gantz told a briefing of European Union ambassadors, according to a statement from his office.
Putin announces martial law in four ‘annexed’ regions
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree imposing martial law in four “annexed” regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson.
“It will immediately be sent for approval to the Federation Council, and the State Duma will be informed of the decision,” Putin said in televised remarks at the start of a Security Council meeting.
“We are working to solve very difficult large-scale tasks to ensure Russia’s security and safe future, to protect our people … Those who are on the front lines or undergoing training at firing ranges and training centres should feel our support and know that they have our big, great country and unified people behind their back.”
Putin also instructed the government to set up a special coordinating council under Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to work with the “annexed” regions to boost Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
Ukraine and its Western allies have denounced Russia’s attempt to formally claim the regions as a meaningless war tactic.
EU working on new sanctions against Iran
A European Union spokeswoman has said the bloc is working towards new sanctions on Iran after gathering “sufficient evidence” that it is supplying Russia with drones for use in Ukraine.
“Now that we have gathered our own sufficient evidence work is ongoing in the [European] Council in view of a clear, swift and firm EU response,” said Nabila Massrali, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
EU diplomats told AFP there is work under way to draw up a list of Iranian individuals and entities linked to the drones which would be added to the bloc’s sanctions blacklist.
Iran denies sending Russia weapons to be used in the conflict with Ukraine.
Wagner group building line of defence in Luhansk
The Wagner mercenary group is working on a fortified line of defence in Ukraine’s eastern region of Luhansk, the group’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said.
“A complex of fortifications is being built on the contact line, commonly known as the ‘Wagner line’,” the pro-Kremlin businessman said on the social media of his company Concord.
Without providing details, he boasted the line was not even “needed” for the group because “the presence of a Wagner unit at the front line is already an impregnable wall” in itself.
Small amounts of gas appear in Nord Stream 1 pipeline
Small amounts of gas appeared to flow briefly in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, website data showed, as the investigation continues into the unexplained nature of the rupture.
Gas flows were at 102 kilowatt-hours per hour (kwh/h) between 05:00 and 06:00 GMT on October 19 from zero, and at 119kwh/h an hour later, the data showed. It dropped back to zero an hour later.
Nord Stream’s operator did not respond to a request for comment, and no explanation was immediately available.
Dwindling flows of gas from Russia, which once supplied 40 percent of Europe’s needs, have left the European Union struggling to unite over how to respond to surging prices that have deepened a cost-of-living crisis for families and businesses.
At least six civilians killed in latest Russian shelling
Ukrainian officials say Russian shelling has killed at least six civilians and injured 16 in the past 24 hours.
The Ukrainian president’s office said the Russian army attacked nine southeastern regions of Ukraine using drones, rockets and heavy artillery, with the attacks focusing on the destruction of energy facilities.
In Kryvyi Rih, there is no electricity in several city districts, and several local water pumping stations have had power cut off, resulting in water shortages, according to a report by the president’s office.
Ukrainian official: Russia putting on a ‘propaganda show’ in Kherson
A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia of organising a “propaganda show” in Kherson after Russian-installed officials urged people to flee and said they were preparing to defend the city against Ukrainian soldiers.
Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s president’s office, added that Russia is trying to scare Kherson residents with what he described as fake news about Ukraine shelling the city.
“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,” Yermak wrote on Telegram. “Propaganda will not work.”
- 2h ago(10:25 GMT)
Ukraine tried to recapture Zaporizhzhia plant, says Russia
Russia says Ukrainian forces tried to recapture the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine but their attempt was held back after several hours of fighting, the RIA news agency reported.
“After shelling the city, a landing attempt was launched, including an effort to seize Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“The battle went on for several hours, at least three to three and a half hours,” RIA quoted Russian-installed official Vladimir Rogov saying, adding that the attack was “repelled”.
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