Ukraine’s declaration of martial law has thrown its citizens into confusion, especially those living in the 10 oblasts where the month-long emergency state was introduced on the morning of Nov. 28.
The period of martial law ends on Dec. 26.
The confusion is partly due to lack of experience. Ukraine has never imposed martial law in its independent history, even during the bloodiest periods of Russia’s war. The legislation used to impose it was only passed in 2015.
So President Petro Poroshenko’s call for martial law after Russia’s attack in the Black Sea on Nov. 25 caught the nation by surprise.
The regional authorities of the 10 affected oblasts have assured citizens that nothing will change. “There’s no reason to panic. Constitutional rights won’t be breached” is the key message coming from governors and mayors.
So far all 10 oblasts have taken similar measures, such as tightening security at border checkpoints with Russia and Moldova, and increasing police patrols on the streets and highways. Regional security councils have been convened. Important infrastructure and military installations are under increased protection.
Local military enlistment offices have begun updating personal records of the primary army reserve units and citizens eligible for military duty to prepare the army for full combat alert and mobilization.
Airports in Odesa, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhia have made no changes to their flight schedules, but have heightened security. Meanwhile Ukraine’s state railways has promised that freight services will not be affected.
“People panicked a bit on Monday (Nov. 26) because of uncertainty, but today nobody’s even talking about martial law,” said a journalist from Vinnytsia Tetyana Shcherbatyk. She said there had been some slight traffic jams because of police checkpoints, but otherwise nothing was different from any other day.
Kharkiv resident Maksym Melnyk also said he hadn’t noticed any changes in the city.
Fake messages
But as soon as the martial law came into force, disinformation started to flow. In Sumy Oblast, some people received text messages announcing a nationwide mobilization and a summons to the nearest military unit. Ukraine’s Ministry of Information immediately said the messages were a provocation by Russian propagandists.
In Zaporizhia and Vinnytsia, rumors spread that the authorities might confiscate cars and other valuable items from civilians. Deputy Chief of General Staff Rodion Tymoshenko said that the decree on martial law does not give such powers to the military.
The authorities have also asked media outlets and citizens not to take photographs or video of military equipment and units, and not to share information about their location on social media.
The orange-colored regions of Ukraine are those oblasts in which 30 days of martial law will be imposed starting on Nov. 28. The red-shaded areas are parts of Ukraine or Moldova controlled by Russian military forces. (Map by Kyiv Post staff writer Bermet Talant)
Here’s a rundown of what the Kyiv Post has learned about the effects of the imposition of martial law in the 10 oblasts so far:
Vinnytsia Oblast
Ukraine has a 1,222-kilometers border with Moldova. Over 450 kilometers of is with the unrecognized republic of Transnistria, a narrow strip of Moldovan territory that declared its independence from Chisinau in 1990 with the support of the Soviet Army. After the Soviet Union collapsed, Russian troops remained in Transnistria as peacekeepers. But Russia has refused to withdraw its 1,500 soldiers and has held unauthorized military drills in Transnistria.
Back in 2016, Vinnytsia fortified the 32-kilometer border section it has with Transnistria with a fence and anti-tank trenches
Vinnytsia city authorities ran a public warning system test on Nov. 28, with sirens sounding for about three minutes twice during the day. Vinnytsia police will step up security, as they usually do during public holidays, the communications director of Vinnytsia Oblast National Police, Anna Oliynyk, told local reporters. The police emergency center has switched to a 24/7 schedule.
Odesa Oblast
Odesa Oblast also shares a border with Transnistria, where Russian troops are still present.
After Russia began its occupation of Crimea in 2014, Odesa became the main base of the Ukrainian navy instead of Sevastopol. It is also its most important trade port on the Black Sea.
More police officers will be sent to patrol railway stations, bus stations, the airport, markets and other crowded public places, according to the head of the Odesa Oblast Police, Dmytro Golovin.
“We’ve taken some security measures, but they won’t affect residents’ everyday life. (Rumors of) total mobilization or a suspension of subsidies are nonsense,” Odesa Governor Maksym Stepanov said at a press briefing on Nov. 28.
Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts
The southern base of the Ukrainian navy was transferred to Mykolayiv from Donuzlav Bay in Crimea after Russia invaded the peninsula.
At a meeting of the Mykolayiv Oblast security council on Nov. 28, Governor Oleksiy Savchenko called for tightened protection of government offices, social centers, and public places.
Kherson Oblast security council held a meeting on Nov. 29. Among other things, Kherson deploys its 124th territorial defense brigade for 10-day tactical drills. Sea ports were assigned heightened security, along with other strategic infrastructure.
In addition, the Kherson Border Guard has imposed a special regime on the border with occupied Crimea. This includes special security arrangements at the all three border crossing checkpoints and a ban on foreign nationals crossing the border.
Besides that, Kherson hospitals have temporarily banned any cars apart for hospital vehicles from entering their territories.
Zaporizhia Oblast
Berdyansk, a city in Zaporizhia Oblast, will become the new Azov Sea base for the Ukrainian navy. In September, several small artillery boats were shipped to the port. Additional bases are to be created in two other port cities on the Azov Sea — Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast and Henichesk in Kherson Oblast.
Under martial law, police officers warn, there will be more inspections of vehicles, especially those with foreign registration plates or coming from other parts of the country, and drivers can expect identification document checks. Berdyansk Mayor Volodymyr Chepurnyi asked citizens to carry their identity documents and be prepared for their personal items to be examined too.
Police will temporarily ban civilians from wearing military uniforms, to prevent criminals impersonating army personnel, National Police Chief for Zaporizhia Oblast Serhiy Komisarov said. He asked residents to report to the police any attempted seizure of valuable items under the pretense of their being requisitioned by the army.
Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts
President Poroshenko went to Chernihiv Oblast on the first day of the enforced martial law on Nov. 28. He appointed a new governor, Oleksandr Mysnyk, and highlighted the importance of fortifying Chernihiv’s border with Russia. “The oblast has to be protected, since (Ukraine’s) borders with Russia are not borders of friendship,” the president said.
As in the other oblasts under the martial law, local police with dogs will patrol streets, highways, and public places, and check identification documents.
The mayor of Sumy has created a defense staff, which includes the leaders of all local security and defense agencies and municipal authorities.
The city administration organized meetings with the directors of kindergartens and schools to explain to them what martial law means. They were asked to pass the information on to parents and children.
Kharkiv Oblast
Kharkiv Oblast weathered pro-Russian protests in 2014. Besides fortifying the wall on the Ukrainian-Russian border, Kharkiv border guards tightened security checks on transport and foreigners entering Ukraine. Local media report that the checks take up to one hour.
Five foreigners were denied entry to Ukraine at the Hoptivka border crossing checkpoint as they failed to explain the purpose of their visit and had previously visited Russian-occupied Crimea, said Oksana Ivanets, spokeswoman for the eastern department of the State Border Guard Service.
Important infrastructure such as metro stations, military bases, warehouses, and energy companies will have heightened security, said Serhiy Storozhenko, an adviser to Kharkiv Oblast’s governor. In addition, local authorities will inspect bomb shelters and storages with medical supplies.
Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts
The two Donbas regions have already lost control over swaths of their territories and 400 kilometers of their borders to Russian-led forces.
Donetsk Governor Oleksandr Kuts said that under martial law, Donetsk Oblast would set up air defenses of important government offices, infrastructure, and foreign diplomatic missions. He said border crossing checkpoints were working as usual.
Likewise, the acting head of Luhansk Oblast, Serhiy Fil, said the Stanytsia Luhanska border checkpoint between the Ukrainian-controlled part of Luhansk Oblast and the Russian-occupied part was also operating as usual.
