The Verkhovna Rada has approved the introduction of martial law in a number of regions of Ukraine for a period of 30 days as it is stipulated in a decree of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Some 276 Members of Parliament voted for the decision at an extraordinary meeting on Monday, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported.

According to Poroshenko, the martial law regime shall be in effect from 09:00 Kyiv time on November 28, while Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov says that the lawmakers voted for the document which states that the timing is 14:00 Kyiv time on November 26.

Before the vote, Poroshenko announced that martial law would be introduced in Vinnytsia, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Odesa, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Kherson regions, as well as "in the internal waters of the Azov-Kerch water area."

Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy added two more regions – Donetsk region and Zaporizhia region – to the list.

In his speech before the vote, Poroshenko said that the martial law in certain regions of Ukraine would be introduced only in the event of a Russian land invasion.

"I've like to emphasize that it will be used only in the event of Russia's military aggression on the ground," the president said.

"As soon as a Russian soldier crosses the Ukrainian border, I will not waste a single moment to ensure the protection of the Ukrainian land," he said.

The presidential decree on the introduction of martial law shall be officially promulgated along with the law on the endorsement of this decree and shall "enter into force simultaneously with the entry into force of the law."