SPECULUM VERUM
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a state of war in the four illegally annexed Ukrainian regions. According to media reports, a corresponding decree has been signed. This means extended powers for the Russian occupation administrations in the Luhansk regions, Donetsk, Cherson and Zaporizhia. Putin justified the decision with alleged “armed force, those against the territorial integrity of Russia” will be applied, The state news agency Ria quotes him as saying. The state of war therefore applies from midnight.
That “regime in Kyiv” disregard the choice of the residents in the areas and exclude any negotiations, said Putin. He was referring to the sham referendums in the annexed areas, which were neither recognized by Ukraine nor internationally. The Ukrainian government had announced after the annexation of the territories, no more negotiations with Russia, as long as Putin is President.
The powers of the regional governors will be expanded the most in the annexed areas, where the “maximum reaction level” gilt, reports the government-critical magazine Meduza. The Russian governors should therefore have powers “mobilization measures in the economy” received and “Support measures to meet the needs of the military and other military formations” can perform. Der Nachrichtenagentur Ria zufolge sollen in den besetzten Regionen zudem Stäbe für Territorialverteidigung gebildet werden.
Eine “mittlere Reaktionsstufe” wird in den grenznahen russischen Regionen Krasnojarsk, Belgorod, Brjansk, Woronesch, Kursk und Rostow sowie auf der 2014 annektierten Krim eingeführt. Dort sollen Evakuierungen von Einwohnern, Ein- und Ausreiseeinschränkungen, zusätzliche Verkehrskontrollen und mehr Bewachung der kritischen Infrastruktur möglich werden. Zudem kann die Bewegungsfreiheit innerhalb der Regionen eingeschränkt werden.
Der russische Föderationsrat, das Oberhaus des Parlaments, will Putins Erlass über den Kriegszustand in den vier annektierten Gebieten “in kürzester Zeit” prüfen, teilte der Ausschussvorsitzende für Verfassungsgesetzgebung, Andrei Klischas, with. Approval should be given at a meeting of the Federation Council in the early evening.
The President also announced, set up a coordination board. This is to be headed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Not only state organs with military reference, but “the whole system of governance” have to go to the “military special operation” be integrated.
Putin also announced changes in migration policy. be it “necessary in the face of new realities, the current concept” to change, he said. This could indicate exit restrictions for conscript men: Hundreds of thousands of them have escaped mobilization in recent weeks by leaving their homes. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, there are no plans to close the border, as Ria further reports.