The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin introducing "martial law" in four occupied regions of Ukraine to be a new stage of terror, and asks partners to increase military support.

Ukraine’s Ministry highlights that martial law is intended to suppress the resistance of residents of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts who oppose Russian occupation. The Ministry also stated that Putin’s decree proclaiming martial law is null and void and has no legal effect.

"Despite the agony of the regime in the Kremlin, Ukraine will continue liberating occupied territories and rescuing its people," the Foreign Ministry declared on Thursday.

The Ministry has called on Ukraine’s Western partners to decisively condemn the intention of Russian occupation administrations "to deprive residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine of even basic human rights, as well as to condemn their illegal plans to legalise looting, forced deportations and mobilisation."

"We also appeal [to our partners - ed.] to provide Ukraine with modern anti-missile and anti-air defence systems as soon as possible to protect our civilian population from Russia's barbaric missile and kamikaze drone attacks," the Ministry’s statement added.

As reported earlier, on 19 October 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision to impose martial law in the annexed parts of the Ukrainian oblasts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk.