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In reaction to Russia's declaration of martial law in the four illegally annexed regions of Ukraine, U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the decree has "no legal claim whatsoever," as "there is no jurisdiction that they have over those territories."
“The truth is that Russia is not wanted in these regions," Patel said, "and the people in Ukraine are rejecting Russia’s illegal invasion and seizure by force of what is Ukrainian territory.”
Russia declared martial law in occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts on Oct. 19. Set to "come into force" on Oct. 20, the decree gives local proxies the power to forcibly relocate residents, control the movement of people, as well as other measures.
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