State of emergency to be introduced across Ukraine

Secretary of the National security and defence council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov in his office, in Kiev, Ukraine on December 24. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images)

A State of Emergency is to be introduced across all parts of Ukraine under government control, the country's National Security and Defense Council announced Wednesday.

The measure is expected to be approved by the Ukrainian Parliament within 48 hours and would last for 30 days, with the possibility of being extended for an additional 30 days. 

“Across the territory of our country, apart from Donetsk and Luhansk, a State of Emergency will be introduced,” Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council said Wednesday.  

“The main aim of the Russian Federation is to destabilize Ukraine from inside and to achieve its objective. To prevent this from happening, we decided today and made this decision today,” he added. 

Speaking during a press briefing in Kyiv, Danilov said the State of Emergency would include “strengthening public order and security at critical infrastructure facilities” and tightening inspections on certain transportation movements. 

“Depending on the local circumstances, there may be stronger or milder measures to ensure the security of our country,” he added. “These are all preventative measures, in order to preserve peace and calm in the country and for the economy to continue to work.”