Vladimir Putin: Experts reveal reason why the Russian President declared martial law

On Wednesday, Vladimir Putindeclared martial law for the annexed territories in Ukraine and in some neighbouring parts of Russia including Crimea.

The substitution of a civil government

According to Investopedia, under martial law a civil government is substituted by military authorities, granting the government extraordinary privileges that take away legal protections and civil rights.

Governments can replace all civil institutions with military operatives, force citizens to take up arms, and appropriate any private property from citizens and any private sector asset which could be used to ramp up military production.

Early on in the war, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy signed a decree bringing into force martial law country-wide, in an effort to bolster its war campaign including barring men of fighting age to leave the country.

In the annexed territories martial law also means that now Vladimir Putin can force Ukrainian citizens to fight for him and against their own army.

Legal cover

Many experts believe that not much will change on the ground as Russia has already been underway with many similar actions including having committed serious crimes in Ukraine, the Washington Post reports.

‘Russia has routinely arrested, jailed, tortured and killed Ukrainians in areas it has occupied since the invasion began on Feb. 24, and its forces stand accused of numerous war crimes.

One major development is the relocation of tens of thousands of the local population in an alleged Russian effort for ethnic recomposition and to reduce the collaboration with the Ukraine resistance force.

The secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defense council, Oleksiy Danilov, says martial law is the Kremlin’s attempt to provide domestic legal cover for further abuses against Ukrainians.

The retired US Army Major General, James ‘Spider’ Marks, concurs with the view that little will change on the ground, except the intention of Vladimir Putin to ‘work his domestic audience’ or to manipulate his electorate back home but also to create a military isolation zone where anything goes, CNN reports.

Sources used:

-Newsweek: ‘Putin Ally Shoigu Missing at Meeting as Speculation Grows Over His Future’

-Newsweek: ‘Putin Could Force Ukrainians to Fight for Him Under Martial Law'

-Investopedia: ‘What Is Martial Law? Meaning, History In the U.S., and Example’

-The Washington Post: ‘Putin decrees ‘martial law’ in illegally annexed territories of Ukraine’

-CNN: ‘Retired general says this is the reason for Putin's martial law’

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