President Vladimir Putin imposed martial law in four Moscow-occupied Ukraine territories that Russia had claimed as its own last month. Vladimir Putin also instructed the government to set up a special coordinating council to boost Russia's efforts in Ukraine.
"We are working on solving very complex, large-scale tasks to ensure a reliable future for Russia, the future of our people," Vladimir Putin said.
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The move marked a new escalation by the Russian President after facing a series of major defeats in Ukraine since the start of September.
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Explaining the move, Vladimir Putin said that the measures he was ordering would increase the stability of the economy, industry and production.
Earlier in the day, Russian-installed officials in Kherson, one of the four occupied regions, told civilians to evacuate some areas as soon as possible in anticipation of an imminent Ukrainian attack which Kyiv called a “move to create panic”.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in the day, Russian-installed officials in Kherson, one of the four occupied regions, told civilians to evacuate some areas as soon as possible in anticipation of an imminent Ukrainian attack which Kyiv called a “move to create panic”.
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