Yesterday, during an emergency meeting of the Verkhovna Rada, people's deputies voted to declare martial law in the country — it is introduced from 9:00 am on November 28 for 30 days. At the same time, at any time, the President of Ukraine may decide to cancel the effect of martial law ahead of time, news agency «Vchasno» reports.
The law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada approves a decree issued earlier by Petro Poroshenko on the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to impose martial law in 10 regions of Ukraine — Vinnytsia, Luhansk, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya and along the Azov Sea.
According to the law, martial law is a special legal regime that is introduced in Ukraine or its individual areas in the event of armed aggression or threat of attack, the danger of Ukraine’s state independence, its territorial integrity, and provides for the relevant state authorities, military command and local self-government bodies necessity to prevent threats and to ensure national security, as well as temporary, due to the threat, restrict rights and freedoms of citizens, and the rights and legitimate interests of legal entities, indicating the period of validity of these restrictions.
According to the adopted document, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine instructs the country's General Staff to provide for partial mobilization measures, as well as to organize and conduct training camps with operational reserve reservists.
The Ministry of Defense and the General Staff have been instructed to clarify the mobilization plan of the armed forces: in particular, the call-up volumes for the first-order operational reservists.
The Security Service of Ukraine has been instructed to take measures to strengthen the counter-intelligence, anti-terrorism and counter-sabotage regime and information security, the document says.
Intelligence agencies are also required to take measures to ensure cybersecurity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is charged with initiating the convening of meetings of the UN Security Council and the permanent council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
In addition, the Foreign Ministry should organize consultations of the President of Ukraine and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country with the leaders of the allied and partner states, the European Union, the leadership of the UN, the OSCE and other international organizations.
Also, the introduction of martial law implies a restriction of the constitutional rights and freedoms of both ordinary citizens and legal entities.
In the case of hostilities, all power passes exclusively to the military. They get the right to:
- control all public information, including radio, television and all other media.
withdraw for temporary use the property necessary for defense needs, not only from the executive authorities, territorial communities, enterprises, institutions, organizations of all forms of ownership, but also from ordinary citizens. True, according to Article 23, the military must compensate for the value of this property;
- impose a curfew (after the commencement of the curfew, you can move through the streets only with a special permit), restrict the freedom of movement of both citizens and vehicles;
- check documents, search personal belongings, luggage and cars, as well as office and residential premises. In addition, the military are entitled to accommodate in offices and apartments.
- in the manner established by the Constitution of Ukraine and the laws of Ukraine, raise the issue of banning the activities of political parties, public organizations if they threaten the sovereignty, national security of Ukraine, its state independence and territorial integrity, the lives of citizens;
- prohibit the holding of all public events. This definition includes not only political meetings or demonstrations, but also a pop concert or a Christmas tree for children.
- limit or prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages.
The rights and freedoms provided for by the some articles of the Constitution may be temporarily restricted.
READ: Russia Seized Three Ukrainian Warships in the Azov Sea, there Are Wounded Ukrainian Sailors
Recall martial law was introduced because of the aggression of Russia in the Sea of Azov: yesterday morning a Russian border ship rammed a Ukrainian tug in the Azov Sea. In the evening, the Russian special forces captured three Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait, six Ukrainian sailors were injured.