Putin declares martial law in annexed Ukrainian regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday declared martial law in the four Ukrainian regions he recently annexed, The Associated Press reported.

The order — which goes into effect on Thursday in the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — gives additional emergency powers to regional leaders in Russia.

While the order did not provide much detail on what the martial law decree will entail, draft legislation suggests that it may include restrictions on travel and public gatherings, increased censorship and expanded law enforcement authority, according to the AP.

Putin formally annexed the four southern and eastern regions of Ukraine in late September. However, Ukrainian forces have continued to make major gains. Russian forces left the city of Lyman in the annexed Donetsk region just one day after Putin’s announcement, as Ukrainian soldiers closed in on the city.

Putin has continued to escalate his war in Ukraine as his forces have suffered numerous setbacks. Russia began a widespread air barrage of Ukraine last week, after a key bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula was partially destroyed. Drones bombarded Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv on Monday, leaving at least three dead.