Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday, October 19 the entry into force from Thursday of martial law in the regions of Kherson, Zaporijjia, Donetsk and Luhansk. At the same time, the use of electricity will be restricted on Ukrainian territory, according to an adviser to the presidency. Franceinfo takes stock of the day’s news on the the war in Ukraine.
kyiv will restrict electricity on its territory after Russian strikes on its infrastructure
The use of electricity will be restricted on Ukrainian territory, an adviser to the presidency announced on Wednesday after several rounds of Russian strikes targeting critical infrastructure. “Tomorrow, October 20, 2022, restrictions for electricity supply will be introduced throughout Ukraine”announced on Telegram Kyrylo Tymoshenko, calling on Ukrainians to “minimize their consumption”otherwise “temporary cuts” will take place.
Martial law triggered in several Ukrainian regions
Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered the establishment of martial law in the four Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia annexed in September by Moscow. The Russian president announced this measure during a meeting of his Security Council broadcast on television. The Kremlin then issued a decree confirming the entry into force of martial law in these territories from Thursday at midnight local time.
These territories “had instituted martial law before their attachment to the Russian Federation, but it is necessary to formalize this regime by following Russian legislation”, said Vladimir Putin. He justified this measure by asserting that kyiv refused to negotiate with Moscow and continued, according to him, to “bomb” the civilian population in these areas.
Ukrainian Air Force claims to have destroyed 223 Iranian drones
Ukraine’s air force on Wednesday claimed to have destroyed 223 Iranian drones since mid-September, while Tehran has repeatedly denied in recent days supply weapons and drones to Russia for his invasion of Ukraine. “Since the first downing of an Iranian-made Shahed 136 kamikaze drone on Ukrainian territory on September 13 in Kupyansk, the air defense of the Air Force and other components of the Defense Forces have destroyed 223 drones of this guy”the army said on Telegram.
UN Security Council meets on Iranian drones in Ukraine
In parallel and at the request of Westerners, the UN Security Council is meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday afternoon in New York on Iranian drones in the conflict in Ukraine, at a time when the European Union is preparing sanctions against Tehran. The United States, France and the United Kingdom, permanent members of the Council, have called for a closed session, according to UN and American diplomats. No decision is expected after the session.
EU prepares sanctions against Iran
In Brussels, European diplomacy announced on Wednesday that it had gathered “enough evidence” demonstrating that the drones used by Russia against Ukraine were supplied by Iran and said to prepare sanctions and “a clear, rapid and firm European response”.
>> War in Ukraine: what do we know about Iranian drones used by the Russian army?
Ukraine demanded sanctions from the European Union on Monday, after several suicide drone strikes on kyiv. It’s necessary “impose sanctions on Iran for supplying drones to Russia”, declared on Twitter the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kouleba. Several drone attacks targeted the capital, kyiv, while “missile attacks” affected the regions of Dnipropetrovsk (center-east) and Sumy (north-east), assured the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Chmygal.
The evacuation of the city of Kherson by the Russian occupation authorities has begun
Russia began Wednesday to evacuate the population of Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine where its army is admittedly facing a situation “very difficult”an operation which, according to a Ukrainian official, resembles a “deportation” of civilians aimed at creating the “panic”.
The Russian occupation authorities plan to evacuate, in total, more than 50,000 people, at the rate of 10,000 people per day. This evacuation should last six days, said Vladimir Saldo, acting governor, on Russian television. On Tuesday, Russian General Sergei Surovikin, in charge of operations, described the situation as “tense” in the region of this city in the south-east of Ukraine.
The European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize awarded to the “courageous” Ukrainian people
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was awarded on Wednesday by the European Parliament to “courageous” Ukrainian people in the face of the Russian invasion. “This award is dedicated to the Ukrainians who are fighting on the ground. To those who have been forced to flee. To those who have lost loved ones and friends. To all those who resist and fight for their beliefs”said the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. She specified that this choice had made “consensus” among the parliamentary political groups in the hemicycle in Strasbourg.
“I know the brave people of Ukraine will not back down, and neither will we.”she added, pointing out that Ukrainians were also risking their lives “to safeguard the values in which we all believe: freedom, democracy, the rule of law”. The award-winning Ukrainian people are represented “by its President Volodymyr Zelensky, its elected officials and civil society”said Roberta Metsola.