Russia has imposed a curfew in the Donetsk region, which it annexed last year, and banned protests while enforcing strict control over mail and communication systems.
These measures in “Donetsk People’s Republic,” a region recognized by Russia and incorporated into the Russian Federation following a referendum in September of last year, reflect the security challenges in the area amid a series of Ukrainian operations in the region.
On Sunday, a decree signed by Denis Pushilin, the Russian-appointed head of the Donetsk region, prohibited civilians from being in the streets and public places from 11 PM local time until 4 AM on weekdays. The ban is effective from Monday to Friday.
The decree also prohibits gatherings, rallies, and demonstrations, as well as any other collective activities, in the areas under Russian control in Donetsk, unless authorized by the “Executive Office for Countering Military Threats in Donetsk People’s Republic.”
Furthermore, the decree, signed by Pushilin on September 18, implements “military control over mail and messages sent through communication systems and surveillance of telephone calls.”
The decree also orders the establishment of inspection points and security checkpoints on the borders with the Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
In recent times, as Ukrainian counterattacks have failed to achieve significant results, Kyiv seems to have resorted to deeper strikes. The Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, Donetsk, and even areas within Russian territory have been subjected to drone attacks.
Kyiv’s allies have provided the Ukrainian military with more weaponry capable of reaching Russian territory, including American missiles and fighter jets.
