Published 24th Feb, 2022

By Tola Owoyele

Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, imposed martial law in the country following an invasion by Russian forces in the early hours of Thursday.

In an address to the nation after Russia’s attack, Zelensky urged Ukrainians to remain calm, assuring them of victory in the end.

“Dear Ukrainian citizens, this morning President Putin announced a special military operation in Donbas. Russia conducted strikes on our military infrastructure and our border guards. There were blasts heard in many cities of Ukraine. We’re introducing martial law on the whole territory of our country,” he said.

“We are working. The army is working,” he said. “Don’t panic. We are strong. We are ready for everything. We will defeat everyone. Because we are Ukraine.”

While Zelensky’s statement has traveled far and wide, many may not yet understand what martial law means. Here is an explainer:

Imposition of martial law means the military temporarily takes over civic functions. The law is mostly adopted by governments of countries to address emergencies when civil forces are overwhelmed.

This is not the first time the law would be in effect in Ukraine. In November 2018, Petro Poroshenko, the then Ukrainian President, imposed the law on ten regions for thirty days to strengthen its defence amid increasing Russian tensions.

While the law was still in effect, Ukraine banned Russian men between the ages of 16 and 60 from entering its territories.

According to the country’s top government officials, it was aimed at preventing Russia from forming units of private armies on Ukrainian soil.

During the period, 1,650 Russian citizens were refused entry into Ukraine.

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