Ukraine has introduced a nationwide state of emergency in which special restrictions will apply in order to keep the country calm and protect its economy amid fears of a Russian invasion, a senior Ukrainian security official says, www.abc.net.au reports. 

This comes as Ukraine’s foreign ministry warned Ukrainians not to visit Russia and urged its citizens already there to leave the country, in a travel advisory issued on Wednesday.

The state of emergency will last for 30 days and can be extended for another 30 days, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Oleksiy Danilov told a briefing.

Parliament must now vote to enact the decision. Introducing a state of emergency gives powers to the authorities, who can choose which ones to implement.

These could include restrictions on transport, extra protection for critical infrastructure and a ban on strikes.

Regional authorities can make decisions on whether to introduce curfews and other measures.