Putin imposes martial law in the annexed regions of Ukraine

The territories in eastern Ukraine were illegally annexed by Russia during an official ceremony in Moscow on September 30.

What does Wednesday’s announcement mean that martial law will be implemented concretely in the region, Putin has not yet determined. But as seen so far, it could include travel restrictions, bans on public gatherings, censorship and expanded powers of jurisdictions, the Associated Press reports.

– I think it should be seen as an attempt to appear as if he were in control, not least towards a domestic audience and a very few critics who are now among the critics, the so-called military bloggers, says SVT foreign correspondent Bengt Norburg, located in The city of Mykolaiv, adjacent to Kherson, with photographer Emil Larsson.

He wants to give a semblance of legitimacy

Bengt Norburg believes that Putin’s Russia wants to give the appearance of legitimacy with these new orders and the so-called martial law.

In fact, they don’t mean anything. Those who rule Kherson can do, and they have, of course, done so in the past, just as they wanted anyway — or as Moscow wanted, he says.

“It’s not going well for them.”

During Tuesday, Sergei Surovkin, the newly appointed Russian commander in Ukraine, announced that the civilian population of Kherson city would be evacuated. Approximately 50,000 to 60,000 people will be evacuated within six days.

– He’s saying something that even the highest military commander thinks you need to get people out of there – it’s not going well. Bengt Norburg says it says something that this Ukrainian offensive is already underway and that they are making progress all the time.