Erdogan agreed with the Russian President to establish a natural gas center in Turkey

Putin declares martial law in 4 Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia

Putin chairs a meeting of the Security Council via video link at his residence outside Moscow, where he declared martial law in the four Ukrainian regions.

AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared martial law yesterday in four regions annexed by his country from Ukraine, including Kherson, which two Moscow-appointed officials said in the city that they are preparing to defend against an imminent Ukrainian attack.

This comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had agreed with Putin to establish a natural gas center in Turkey.

In detail, the Russian President said yesterday that he had declared martial law in the four Ukrainian regions that were annexed to Russia, namely Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia.

Putin added that he granted the rulers of the regions joining Russia greater powers to support the military operation against Ukraine, and in statements to members of the Russian Security Council that were broadcast on television, Putin directed the government to form a special coordination council that receives orders from Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, to work with the Russian regions to strengthen the Russian war efforts in Ukraine.

Under Putin's decree, residents of these regions can now be forced to work in the arms industry or be prevented from traveling.

The decree also allows for the application of military censorship or wiretapping of private telephone conversations.

The Kremlin decree also ordered "economic mobilization" in eight regions bordering Ukraine, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and imposed restrictions on movement to and from these regions.

Putin announced the granting of additional powers to the leaders of all regions of Russia, numbering more than 80, to protect vital facilities, maintain public order and increase production in support of Moscow's "special military operation".

In Kyiv, an adviser to the Ukrainian president denounced the Russian president's declaration of martial law in four regions of Ukraine, describing it as "absurd legislation to plunder Ukrainians' property."

"The application of martial law on lands occupied by Russia can only be seen as an absurd legislation to plunder the property of Ukrainians," Chancellor Mikhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

"This will not change anything for Ukraine," he added.

Meanwhile, two Russian-appointed officials in Kherson said yesterday that it is being prepared to defend it against an imminent Ukrainian attack, and urged civilians to flee as quickly as possible.

"No one is ready to hand over Kherson, but the population should not remain in a city that will witness military operations," Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of the region, said in a television interview.

"We expect an attack, and the Ukrainian side does not hide that," Saldo added.

"At the moment, we have enough capabilities to repel the attacks, and to start a counterattack, if the tactical situation requires it," Saldo told Russian television.

The city will survive, we simply need to protect the peaceful residents.”

He said more than 5,000 people have already left in the past two days, and an estimated 10,000 people will be taken out per day over the next six days.

His deputy, Kirill Strimosov, also said that a Ukrainian attack was imminent.

"I ask you to take my talk seriously and implement it ... the fastest evacuation possible," he said in a post on "Telegram".

On Tuesday, the new commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Sergei Sorovikin, made a rare acknowledgment of the pressure they are under from Ukrainian attacks to regain the southern and eastern regions that Moscow announced its annexation weeks ago.

Referring to Kherson, General Sergei said, "The situation in this region is difficult. They are deliberately bombing the infrastructure and residential buildings."

For its part, Ukraine yesterday accused Russia of "trying to intimidate" the residents of Kherson by evacuating this important city.

"The Russians are trying to frighten the people of Kherson with false news reports about our army's bombing of the city," Andrei Yermak, a Ukrainian presidential official, wrote on Telegram.

In Kyiv, several explosions were heard in the center of the capital yesterday, shortly after the anti-aircraft sirens sounded.

For its part, Russia said that Ukrainian forces tried to retake the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, which is controlled by Moscow, but managed to repel it after fighting that lasted several hours, the RIA news agency reported yesterday.

For his part, the head of the Ukrainian "Energoatom" group, Petro Kotin, told AFP that about 50 employees of the Zaporizhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine are still "prisoners" of the Russians.

In Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that he had agreed with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to establish a natural gas center in Turkey.

Speaking to members of the ruling Justice and Development Party in parliament, Erdogan said that Putin told him that Europe can obtain its gas needs through this center in Turkey.

 Ukraine accuses Russia of "trying to intimidate" Kherson residents by evacuating the city

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