Kiev, Feb. 7, (dpa/GNA) - Martial law in Ukraine, imposed because of the Russian invasion, has been extended by parliament for another 90 days.
According to media reports, 348 members of parliament (MPs) voted for the fifth extension on Tuesday, well over the 226 votes required for approval.
The general mobilization was also extended. This means that men between the ages of 18 and 60 who are subject to compulsory military service will, with a few exceptions, continue to be subject to a ban on leaving the country. The regulation is provisionally valid until May 20.
In connection with reports of massive casualties, videos of call-up papers being handed out to passers-by in Ukrainian cities have been increasingly surfacing recently.
Kiev has been fending off the Russian invasion for almost a year with Western help.
Russia controls almost 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including the Crimean peninsula annexed in 2014.
Despite reports of extremely bloody fighting and massive casualties, Russia’s military leadership has expressed satisfaction with the situation on the front in eastern Ukraine.
“Currently, the fighting in the regions of Vuhledar and Artyomovsk [the Russian name for Bakhmut] is developing successfully,” Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.
For days, the Ukrainian side has been reporting on the heavy fighting near the town of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently reiterated that his troops were maintaining resistance.
According to British intelligence officers, the Russians are not really making any progress. In Bakhmut – a town that once had a population of more than 70,000 – only a few thousand people remain.
From Russia, which started the war against the neighbouring country almost a year ago, there was once again criticism of Western military aid to Ukraine.
The delivery of offensive weapons will only drag out the fighting, Shoigu claimed. “In fact, such steps drag NATO countries into the conflict and can lead to an unpredictable escalation.”
Ukraine relies on international support for its defence. Several countries – including Germany – have pledged to supply battle tanks. Berlin has stressed that it does not want to become a party to the war.
GNA