Russia will not shut borders – Kremlin
There are no plans at the moment to restrict the movement of people across Russia’s borders, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said. He issued the clarification shortly after President Vladimir Putin introduced martial law in the four former Ukrainian regions which recently joined Russia.
When asked by news outlet RIA Novosti on Wednesday whether the government would close the borders, Peskov said “No, [we are] not planning to.”
Earlier in the day, at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, Putin announced the decision to impose martial law in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions starting midnight on Thursday.
In late September, the pro-Russian administrations in the four regions held referendums on joining Russia. An overwhelming majority in each region voted in favor of the move.
According to Putin, his decision would not change much for these regions, as martial law had already been in place when they merged with Russia. The document signed on Wednesday merely provides the legal basis for martial law, now under Russian sovereignty, the president said.
He also introduced a state of ‘mid-level response’ in a number of other regions adjacent to Ukraine, including the Crimean Republic, the city of Sevastopol, as well as Krasnodar, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, and Rostov Regions. The local authorities have been given additional powers to ensure security.
That same day, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament unanimously approved the imposition of martial law in parts of the country.
