What happens when Russia declares martial law?

What would happen if Russia declared martial law? This question arises almost every day since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. An expert interviewed by our newspaper explained who, when, and on what grounds can order mobilization.

Bahmut, 2023. május 15. Ukrán katonák önjáró tüzérségi jármûvel lõnek az orosz erõk által ostromlott kelet-ukrajnai Bahmutban 2023. május 15-én. MTI/AP/LIBKOS Fotó: LIBKOS

Lately, the issue of martial law and general mobilization in Russia has been a recurring theme in both the international and Hungarian press. Similar to most countries, martial law can be declared in Russia by parliament, more specifically its lower house. Under the Russian constitution, this provision would be made either by the government, or by the president, in this case Vladimir Putin.

The declaration of martial law would entail fundamental changes in the country, according to Norbert Toth, an international legal expert. These changes would include the option of immediate mobilization, that is, the conscription of men aged between 18 and 55 who had previously served in the military. General mobilization, however, would also require the appointment of military commissars and quartermasters to conduct operations involving millions of people.

After the introduction of martial law, certain human rights may be temporarily restricted by the state. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are typically the first two liberties to come under state control in such a scenario. This entails the introduction of censorship in order to make military operations as successful as possible, the expert told our newspaper, adding that authorities should also restrict freedom of movement.

In such a situation, those deemed unfit for military service could not escape certain duties, as they would be assigned to performing civilian tasks, Mr Toth added. 

In terms of mobilization., Russia has a vantage point compared to many Western countries, because conscription was not abolished either in the Soviet Union, or after its collapse, so the vast majority of military-aged men have received some basic training.

Basically, there are two types of military service in Russia: through contracts, or through conscription. However, these two can be broken down into several subgroups. In the case of contracted soldiers, Russian citizens serve between the ages of 18 and 40, while foreigners can join the army between the ages of 18 and 30. The conscripted personnel, on the other hand, includes all those who are fit to serve. The Russian Federation's military, which boasts a headcount of more than three million, is made up of these two categories,

the expert said.

However, the president has the right to declare general mobilization without the authorization of the lower house, if he believes that the country is under attack. In the case of Russia, we must consider both international law and the Russian perspective. From a Russian point of view, the war is currently raging on Russian soil, in the territories recently annexed to the country. On that basis, the president could decide to order a general mobilization at any time.

Under international law, however, these territories are still part of Ukraine, meaning that Russia is not fighting on its own soil. Nevertheless, a general mobilization would have several negative effects, which is why the Russian leadership is unlikely to resort to it in the foreseeable future, Norbert Toth explained.

One of the negative effects is that general mobilization would require plenty of financial and other resources, as millions of people would have to be mobilized, deployed to barracks and fully supplied. Another factor is the public sentiment. Until now, the partial mobilization has mainly involved people from the Far East and the Ukrainian border regions, and it avoided the country’s European areas and its large cities, where the more politically active population tends to live.

Besides the citizens, the introduction of martial law would also had a severe impact on economic players, as the operation of critical sectors would be taken over by military commissars and personnel appointed by them.

I think it's key to emphasize that in such a situation, some of the powers of parliament would be taken over partly by the executive, and partly by the legislative branch in almost all countries in a bid to accelerate the decision-making process as much as possible. These bodies would then have to report back to parliament on their decisions and their consequences.

– Norbert Toth told our newspaper. 

Cover photo: Ukrainian soldiers firing from a self-propelled artillery vehicle in Bahmut, in east Ukraine, which has since been occupied by Russian forces (Source: MTI/AP/Libkos)