Putin’s martial law in occupied regions “preparation for mass deportations” of Ukrainians, Kyiv says

Vladimir Putin has ordered the introduction of martial law in the Ukrainian regions Moscow seeks to annex in Ukraine as of tomorrow, arguing that such a step is necessary because of the danger that what he claims is Russian territory is at risk of being attacked.

Putin imposed martial law on occupied territories of Ukraine

But Oleksii Danilov

, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, says that what Putin is doing represents “preparation for the mass deportation of the Ukrainian population into depressed regions of Russia in order to change the ethnic composition of the occupied territories."

“A new stage of terror” – Ukrainian MFA on Putin’s “martial law” in occupied territories

Putin also used today’s meeting of the Russian Security Council to impose tighter controls over much of European Russia, to form a coordinating council to guide military operations in Ukraine, and to raise the pay of Russians mobilized to a minimum of 195,000 rubles (2500 US dollars) a month.