Vladimir Putin declares martial law in 4 Ukraine regions

Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree declaring martial law in the four Ukrainian regions Moscow claims it annexed last month, heightening the potential for increased hostilities.

Putin, in signing the decree, told the state-run news agency TASS that the regions were under martial law before they became part of Russia. None of the regions are recognized by the United Nations or the international community as part of Russia but are within the borders of Ukraine.

"I have signed a decree on the introduction of martial law in these four constituent entities of Russia," including the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic, the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions," Putin said.

"It will immediately be sent to the Federation Council for approval. The State Duma has been notified of this decision. Now we need to formalize this regime in the framework of the Russian legislation."

Putin signed annexation treaties for the regions last month, despite global pushback.

Putin's move comes as Moscow-controlled Kherson was moving civilians, while Ukraine instituted a news blackout in the area, indicating an upcoming battle for the city and region.

The Kremlin had seized Kherson, a key southern Ukrainian city, early during its invasion but has since been under the pressure of a counter-offensive ordered by Kyiv. Ukraine had previously announced success in winning numerous small villages as their forces inched closer to Kherson.

Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-installed leader of Kherson, said some 60,000 civilians will be evacuated from the Kherson region over the next six days.

Saldo said the evacuations were needed so Russian troops can "act resolutely" in dealing with the Ukraine counter-offensive.

"I drove through the regional center this morning. On the exterior, there was nothing to suggest there was a lot of pressure," Saldo said, according to The Guardian.

"But when I arrived at the river port, I saw that the boats were waiting and are already loaded with people ready to go to the left bank of the Dnipro. [The situation] is getting tense."

Kherson remains symbolically pivotal because it is the only regional capital Russia has been able to capture since the start of its invasion in February.

Meanwhile, the United States, Britain and France said they will meet Wednesday to discuss Iran's donation of so-called "kamikaze" drones that the Kremlin had been using to attack civilian areas. Five people were killed in Kyiv on Monday and three more on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian military said it shot down 13 of the drones over Mykolaiv overnight while Russia claimed it turned back an effort by Kyiv to retake control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by boats with Ukrainian special forces.

The British Defense Ministry said Russia overall continues to struggle on the battlefield with four of the five generals with direct operational command of elements of the invasion being dismissed.

"Their replacements have so far done little to improve Russia's battlefield performance," the ministry said on Twitter. "The lack of command continuity will likely be more disruptive than in a Western military because under Russian doctrine the development of plans sits largely with the commander personally, rather than as a collective effort across a broader staff."