This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 75%. (I'm a bot)

> Russian and Ukrainian troops are preparing for a major battle over the strategic southern industrial port city of Kherson, the centre of one of four regions Russian President Vladimir Putin has illegally annexed and subjected to martial law.

> Putin declared martial law on the annexed regions of Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions on Wednesday in an attempt to assert Russian authority there as he faced battlefield setbacks, a troubled troop mobilisation, increasing criticism at home and abroad, and international sanctions.

> The unsettled status of the illegally absorbed territory was especially visible in the Kherson region's capital, where Russian military officials have replaced Kremlin-installed civilian leaders as part of martial law that took effect Thursday to defend against a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

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