New Delhi: President Vladimir Putin declared martial law in four Ukrainian regions he claims are part of Russia on Wednesday, as some residents of the Russian-held city of Kherson fled by boat after Moscow warned of an impending attack.

Putin declared martial law in four Ukrainian regions he claims are part of Russia

Russian state television broadcast images of people fleeing Kherson, portraying the exodus – from the right bank of the Rover Dnipro to its left bank – as an attempt to clear the city of civilians before it became a combat zone.

Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the local Russia-backed administration, issued a video appeal after Russian forces in the area were pushed back by 20-30 kilometres in recent weeks.

They risk being pinned against the western bank of Ukraine’s 2,200-kilometre-long (1367-mile-long) Dnipro river. Putin told his Security Council that he was imposing martial law in four Ukrainian regions that it partly occupies and seeks to fully control, including the Kherson region, in a move that appeared to be designed to help Russia strengthen its grip.

It was unclear what the immediate impact of much tighter security measures on the ground would be. Putin also issued a decree restricting movement into and out of eight Ukrainian border regions. The head of the Ukrainian president’s office, Andriy Yermak, accused Russia of staging a propaganda show in Kherson.

“The Russians are trying to scare the people of Kherson with fake newsletters about the shelling of the city by our army, and also arrange a propaganda show with evacuation,” Yermak posted a message on the Telegram messaging app.

In Kherson, Stremousov said the city and especially its right bank could be shelled by Ukrainian forces, adding that residents who left would be given accommodation inside Russia.