New Delhi: The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, signed a decree on the imposition of martial law in Ukraine on Thursday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in eastern Ukraine earlier in the day.
Ukraine's President signed Decree № 64/2022 "On the imposition of martial law in Ukraine", a statement issued by the President's office said.
"According to the decree, martial law is imposed from 5:30 am, February 24, 2022 for a period of 30 days," the statement said.
Due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the decision was made, on the basis of the proposal of the National Security and Defense Council, and in accordance with Ukrainian law, the statement said.
What Is A Martial Law?
A martial law is a temporary rule by military authorities of a designated area in time of emergency when the civil authorities are deemed unable to function, according to Britannica. The legal effects of a declaration of martial law are different in different jurisdictions. However, they generally involve a suspension of normal civil rights and the extension of military law to the civilian population.
When Was Martial Law Introduced In Ukraine?
On November 26, 2018, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law approving a decree by then Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko introducing martial law for 30 days in 10 regions of Ukraine, according to an article published by the Centre for Eastern Studies in Poland.
The bill was supported by 276 deputies in the 450-seat parliament, and the text of the bill as adopted was substantially different from the proposal put forward by Poroshenko, the article stated.
The ten regions were located along the border of Russia, the coasts of the Azov Sea and the Black Sea, and the borders with separatist Transnistria. The martial law was imposed after the Kerch Strait incident, which was an international incident that occurred on November 25, 2018 in the Kerch Strait in Eastern Europe. During the incident, three Ukrainian Navy vessels were fired upon by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) coast guard. The Ukrainian Navy vessels had attempted to transit from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov through the strait, on their way to the port of Mariupol. After this, the FSB coast guard fired upon the Navy Vessels.
The article published by the Centre for Eastern Studies said that Poroshenko and his colleagues repeatedly stressed that none of the civic constitutional rights and freedoms provided for in the adopted bill will be limited, unless there is an act of open aggression on the part of the Russian Federation.
Poroshenko had initially signed a decree to impose martial law in the entire country, and for 60 days, but the period was later reduced to 30 days, and the law was imposed only in 10 regions.
How Will The Martial Law Recently Declared In Ukraine Affect The Country?
According to an article published by The New York Times, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said he had declared martial law in the country because of the Russian attack. Zelenskyy, who was speaking in a televised address to the nation shortly before 7 am, did not clarify what restrictions would be in place.
According to the statement issued by the Ukranian President's office, the Military Command, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, other executive bodies and local self-government bodies, must ensure the measures and powers envisaged by the Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Regime of the Martial Law" necessary to ensure Ukraine's defence, public safety, and state interests.
The statement said that the constitutional rights and freedoms of man and citizen provided for in certain articles of the Constitution of Ukraine may be temporarily restricted due to the imposition of martial law in Ukraine. Also, temporary restrictions will be imposed on the rights and legitimate interests of legal entities.
The statement said that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine must immediately put into effect a plan to implement and ensure measures of the legal regime of martial law in Ukraine. Also, the Cabinet of Ministers must provide appropriate funding.
The State Emergency of Ukraine, together with local state administrations and other state bodies, institutions, enterprises, organisations of all forms of ownership, has been instructed to immediately bring a single stage civil protection system, its functional and territorial subsystems ready for the fulfilment of tasks in a special period, according to the statement.
Also, defence councils must be established by regional, Kyiv city state administrations, and local self-government bodies. These bodies must also provide assistance to the military command in introducing and implementing measures of the martial law regime.
According to the statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine must ensure that the United Nations Secretary-General and foreign officials are duly informed about the imposition of martial law in Ukraine. The Ministry must also ensure that the UN Secretary-General and foreign officials are informed about the restrictions on human and civil rights and freedoms, which are a deviation from the obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and about the extent of these deviations and the reasons for such a decision.
After Putin announced a military operation in eastern Ukraine early Thursday, countries across the globe appealed to Russia to stop its invasion of Ukraine.
The Embassy of Ukraine to the United Kingdom has said that Putin started an "unprovoked war" against Ukraine, a war against Europe, and a war against the whole world.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet that Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He further said that peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes, and called it a “war of aggression”.