MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia needed to fight enemy agents and improve its defences against attacks deep inside its own territory but said there was no need to follow Ukraine’s example and declare martial law. “There is no reason to introduce some kind of special regime or martial law in the country,” Putin told a televised meeting of Russian war correspondents and military bloggers. “There is no need for such a thing today.”

Ukraine’s large-scale counter-offensive began on June 4 and has not been successful in any area, Putin said, adding that Ukrainian human losses were 10 times greater than Russia’s.