Ukraine declared martial law in response to the full-scale military invasion and armed aggression launched by the [Russian Federation](https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/prezident-pidpisav-ukaz-pro-zaprovadzhennya-voyennogo-stanu-73109) on February 24, 2022. [1, 2]
## The 2022 Full-Scale Invasion
* The Decree: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree No. 64/2022 immediately following the start of Russian missile strikes and ground offensives. [1, 2]
* The Purpose: The measure was enacted to repel the armed aggression, mobilize the national military and economy, protect state sovereignty, and ensure public safety and territorial integrity. [1, 2]
* Ongoing Extensions: The Ukrainian parliament ([Verkhovna Rada](https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskiy-martial-law-mobilization-russia/32678119.html)) has continually voted to extend martial law and general mobilization as the war persists. [3, 4]
## Previous 2018 Declaration
* Kerch Strait Incident: Ukraine previously imposed a limited 30-day period of martial law in late 2018 across 10 border regions.
* The Cause: That earlier action was a security response after Russian forces attacked and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels in the [Kerch Strait](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law_in_Ukraine) near Crimea. [5, 6, 7]
[1] [https://www.president.gov.ua](https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/prezident-pidpisav-ukaz-pro-zaprovadzhennya-voyennogo-stanu-73109)
[2] [https://ukraineinvest.gov.ua](https://ukraineinvest.gov.ua/en/response-to-war/helpdesk/martial-law/)
[3] [https://www.wilsoncenter.org](https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/constitutional-process-wartime-ukraine)
[4] [https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YALleEU8a9o)
[5] [https://en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law_in_Ukraine)
[6] [https://www.npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2018/11/27/671084271/ukraine-parliament-approves-martial-law-after-naval-skirmish-with-russia)
[7] [https://www.washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/11/29/why-did-ukraine-i
mpose-martial-law/)