Almost a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout the east and south.
Putin's forces pulled out of key positions in November, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the southern port city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as wintersets in.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Oct 19, 2022, 8:08 PM EDT
Putin's martial law declaration 'speaks to his desperation': Blinken
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told "Good Morning America" anchor George Stephanopoulos in a new interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin's declaration of martial law in illegally annexed parts of Ukraine "speaks to his desperation" as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in rebuffing the invasion.
"Just in the last few weeks, he's tried to mobilize more forces. He's gone through with this sham annexation of Ukrainian territory," Blinken said in a preview from the sit-down, which will air Thursday on "Good Morning America."
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Blinken responds to Putin’s declaration of martial lawU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos about Russian measures against Ukraine.
ABCNews.com
-ABC News' Tal Axelrod
Oct 19, 2022, 3:34 PM EDT
Ukraine to restrict electrical supply after Russia knocks out power plants
Ukraine will start restricting electricity supplies across the country on Thursday after Russia knocked out more power plants, a senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said on Wednesday.
"From 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., it is necessary to minimize the use of electricity ... if this is not done, you should prepare for temporary blackouts," Tymoshenko wrote in a Telegram post.
-ABC News' Jason Volack
Oct 19, 2022, 2:26 PM EDT
Biden says Putin imposing martial law may be 'his only tool available' to brutalize Ukrainians
President Joe Biden reacted to Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to impose martial law in illegally annexed Ukrainian areas, telling reporters it may be his only tool available.
"I think that Vladimir Putin finds himself in an incredibly difficult position. And what it reflects to me is it seems his only tool available to him is to brutalize individual citizens, in Ukraine, Ukrainian citizens to try to intimidate them into capitulating," Biden said Wednesday.
"They're not gonna do that," he added
-ABC News' Molly Nagle
Oct 19, 2022, 8:31 AM EDT
Putin announces he is imposing martial law in four occupied Ukrainian territories
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he will impose martial law in four Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye. All four regions were illegally annexed by Putin last month.
Marital law grants Russia’s authorities huge powers over the civilian population in the regions it is imposed. Martial law is set to go into effect on Thursday.
The decree, which Putin announced during a televised meeting with his security council, will now be sent to be rubber stamped by Russia’s upper chamber of parliament, the Federation Council.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link at a residence outside Moscow, Oct. 19, 2022.
Sputnik/Sergey Ilyin/Kremlin via Reuters
Putin has also granted new powers to governors in several regions bordering Ukraine.
Putin’s decree includes other points ordering the rest of Russia itself put into various levels of "readiness."
The decree puts eight regions bordering Ukraine into a state of "moderate level of response," but also imposes a "level of heightened readiness" in the southern and central regions that include Moscow. All other Russians regions are put on a "basic level of readiness."
The decree says these statuses grant special powers to local authorities that are similar to martial law and includes points imposing increased security at key facilities, puts transport and communications into a special regime and also envisages the creation of "territorial defense headquarters" in some regions.
