Ukraine Goes into Full Defense Mode

Ukraine is going into total defense mode, said the head of the defense Department Reznikov. The Rada approved the introduction of martial law. Ukraine is going into full defense mode. This was announced on Thursday, February 24, by Defense Minister Olexii Reznikov on Facebook. He stressed that anyone who is ready and able to hold a weapon can join the ranks of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in their region. Martial law has been introduced in Ukraine A few hours earlier, the Verkhovna Rada approved the decree of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the introduction of martial law in Ukraine. This was written on Facebook by People’s deputy from the Servant of the People faction Yevheniya Kravchuk. 300 deputies out of 424 (the total number of members of the Rada) voted in support of the decision. According to Kravchuk, the deputies will remain in Kyiv and continue their work. Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians to remain calm and stay at home. Martial law is a special regime of functioning of the country introduced in the event of a threat to national security, military aggression. For the period of its operation, state and local authorities, military commands receive additional powers to speedily stabilize the situation. “Special operation in Donbass” On the night of February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a “special military operation in Donbass” in order to protect people who “have been subjected to genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years”. Putin’s claims of genocide were previously denied by both the European Union and the UN. Western politicians accused the Russian president of lying. Russia has recognized the independence of the DPR and LPR On the evening of February 21, Russia recognized the separatist DPR and LPR. Later, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the independence of these entities is recognized within the borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. The Federation Council of the Russian Federation allowed the president to use the army in the east of Ukraine, at the borders of which about 150 thousand Russian servicemen were concentrated. Kyiv and the international community strongly condemned the gross violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. The European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States have decided on new sanctions against Russia, and Japan and Australia intend to follow them. DW