What is martial law and why is Putin imposing it in Ukraine?

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered martial law in four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine on October 19.

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Putin imposed existing military-law regimes in Ukraine’s Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

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These regions were annexed by his military last month and he prefers that they are in line with Russian law.

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Additionally, he imposed higher security in 6 regions of Russia near the Ukraine border, as well as Crimea, which he annexed in 2014.

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The new rules impose limits on movement in and out of the regions.

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They allow local authorities to relocate civilians away from combat zones and give increased powers to military officials.

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A spokesperson dismissed Putin's declaration calling it a "pseudo-legalization of looting of Ukrainians’ property".

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It is reported that Ukraine suffered close to $1 trillion in damages due to the ongoing war.

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