Ukraine war: Putin announces partial military mobilisation for Russian citizens
Putin’s address to the nation comes a day after Russian-controlled regions in eastern and southern Ukraine announced plans to hold votes on becoming integral parts of Russia.a
PremiumAs the war between Ukraine and Russia reaches around seven months, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization in the country with Moscow losing ground on the battlefield, according to news agency The Associated Press.
His address to the nation comes a day after Russian-controlled regions in Ukraine announced their plans to hold votes on becoming integral parts of Russia. The Kremlin-backed efforts to swallow up four regions could set the stage for Moscow to escalate the war.
Putin said that he has already signed a decree on the partial mobilization, which is due to start on Wednesday. He stressed that citizens who are currently in the reserve will be subject to conscription, while those who served in the armed forces have a certain military specialty and relevant experience.
He also warned the West that "it's not a bluff" that Russia will use all the means to protect its territory.
The Russian President accused the West of engaging in “nuclear blackmail" and said “statements of some high-ranking representatives of the leading NATO states about the possibility of using nuclear weapons of mass destruction against Russia."
"To those countries who make such statements regarding Russia, I would like to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction. And to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal," Putin warned.
The referendums, which have been expected to take place since the first months of the war, will start Friday in the Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
He said that the decision has been taken to protect Russia, its people, its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister said that 300,000 reserves will be called up for partial mobilization in Russia.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told state TV that 300,000 reservists would be mobilized under Putin’s order, though he said they would not all be called up at once. The order applies only to those with military experience and wouldn’t affect students or others who haven’t previously served in the army, he said as quoted by Bloomberg.
The 300,000 troops would be more than than the approximately 180,000 that the US estimated Russia had massed at Ukraine’s borders before the February 24 invasion.
(With inputs from agencies)
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