Vladimir Putin
WASHINGTON (Oct. 19, 2022)— On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law introducing martial law in the four illegally annexed Ukrainian regions -- Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk -- along with a separate order imposing restrictions on movement in and out of eight Russian regions adjoining Ukraine.
Putin announced that martial law was in effect during a televised address, but didn’t provide many details of restrictions or controls imposed under his decree. The approved legislation indicated the declaration may involve restrictions on travel and public gatherings, tighter censorship and broader authority for law enforcement agencies. The order also states that measures envisaged by martial law could be introduced anywhere in Russia “when necessary.”
Robert W. Orttung is a research professor of International Affairs at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs and faculty member of the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. In response to the news of Putin’s declaration of martial law he offered this analysis:
“Putin's decision to order the imposition of martial law in occupied Ukraine and strengthening the governors' powers in Russia is unlikely to have much effect. One consequence of Putin's strongman rule is that he has fostered extensive corruption and undermined administrative capacity across Russia's military and civilian governing organs. The limits of his power is becoming increasingly evident as he escalates his verbal commands. Putin is increasingly howling into an abyss of his own making.”
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