The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, put the Russians on a war footing today by decreeing the partial mobilization of 300,000 Russian reservists for the war in Ukrainea measure that seeks to counteract what he called “nuclear blackmail” by NATO, which aims to “destroy” Russia.
Today our Armed Forces act along a combat line that exceeds a thousand kilometers, fighting not only against neo-Nazi formations, but practically against the military machine of the collective West,” Putin said during a televised speech.
The measure, a “desperate” reaction, according to the European Union itself, is clearly an acknowledgment of the failure of the “special military operation” in Ukraine, which in almost seven months of fighting has not achieved its main objective, to conquer Donbas. , and has even ceded territory in the Kharkov and Lugansk regions in recent weeks.
For the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, the mobilization is “a tragedy, first of all, for the Russian people”, and also a result of Russia’s “inability of the professional Army”according to what his spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov said today,
Without mentioning it, Putin, according to analysts, admitted with this measure for the first time that his country is at waralthough the Kremlin chief insists that Russian soldiers are not only fighting with Ukraine, but also with its Western allies.
The mobilization follows the call for this Friday of integration referendums with Russia in the self-proclaimed popular republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, and in the occupied territories of southern Ukraine in the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, consultations already condemned by the international community.
Putin accuses the West
Putin focused much of his speech on accusing the West of threatening his country with the supply of long-range offensive weapons that would allow Ukraine to “launch attacks in Crimea and other regions of Russia.”
With its aggressive and anti-Russian policy, the West has exceeded all limits,” he denounced.
The goal of the West is “to ultimately weaken, divide and destroy our country,” said the Kremlin chief, who stressed that “they (Westerners) openly say that in 1991 they were able to dismember the Soviet Union and that now it is the turn of Russia”.
Putin denounced that the West even uses “nuclear blackmail”.
It is not only about the attacks encouraged by the West against the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (in Ukraine, although under Russian military control), which may cause an atomic catastrophe, but also about the declarations of senior NATO officials about the possibility in use weapons of mass destruction against Russia,” he explained.
He stressed that the citizens of Russia can be sure that the territorial integrity, independence and freedom of the country are guaranteed “with all the means at our disposal”, which includes more modern weapons than NATO.
This is not a bluff (…). And those who try to blackmail us with the nuclear weapon should know that the compass rose can turn against them”, warned the Russian president.
Reservists, but not recruits or students
Speaking on public television, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu assured that 300,000 reservists will be mobilized1% of the potential of this country.
These reservists must have completed compulsory military service, have combat experience or some military specialty needed by the Armed Forces, although it is unlikely that they will be assigned to the front.
In this regard, Shoigu explained that it is necessary to “secure” and “control the territory” occupied by Russian troops in Donbas and the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia.
The first mobilized will be reserve non-commissioned officers under 35 years of age and officers under 45 years of age.according to Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the Defense Committee of the Duma or Chamber of Deputies.
Of course, the reservists who are mobilized have no choice. The Russian Parliament yesterday approved laws that toughen up to ten years in prison the punishment for desertion, voluntary surrender or refusal to enter combat.
Anticipating the opposition of many Russians, especially in the big cities, to sending their sons to the front, Shoigu assured that “there will be no mobilization of university students.”
In principle, the recruits will not be mobilized either, although human rights organizations denounced the deployment in recent weeks of a large number of recruits on the border with Ukraine.
They will not be mobilized or sent to the zone of the special military operation,” the minister clarified.
Protests and civil disobedience
In a clear gesture of civil disobedience, the Vesná (Spring) peace movement has called for a nationwide protest in Russia against the partial mobilization.
Under the slogan “No to mobilization”, Russian citizens are called to gather today in their cities.
Why will mothers and children shed tears? For Putin’s palace?” asks the movement, which denounces that those mobilized “must die to correct the errors of the Putin regime, which plunged Russia into monstrous slaughter, isolation and poverty,” it added.
In addition, nearly 200,000 people have already signed a petition on the Change.org platform against the mobilization, partial or total.
We, citizens of Russia, men and women, speak out against a partial or general mobilization. President Vladimir Putin does not have and cannot have legal grounds or reasoned and well-considered reasons for announcing it,” the petition states.
From prison, the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalni, today predicted a great tragedy for the “criminal war” in Ukraine and accused Putin of wanting “hundreds of thousands of people to be stained with blood” to perpetuate himself in power.
Of course, this will lead to a great tragedy, to a huge number of deaths. Putin is losing the neighboring country, he is killing people there and now throwing into the war grinder a huge number of Russian citizens who should just lead a normal life and take care of their families,” he said.
He also regretted that it is civilians who have to die on Ukrainian territory.
I don’t understand a thing. The Army has a million men. The National Guard, 350,000. The Ministry of the Interior, another million and a half or two million. In prison services the same number. Why call up civilians?” he wrote.
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