Putin announces partial mobilization in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he signed a decree on partial mobilization beginning Wednesday.

Putin said in a televised address on Wednesday that his aim was to “liberate” Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

He said he was defending Russian territories and people in the region did not want to return to what he called the “yoke” of Ukraine.

The Russian leader stressed he was “taking about partial mobilization, that is, only citizens who are currently in the reserve will be subject to conscription, and above all, those who served in the armed forces have a certain military specialty and relevant experience.”

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 300,000 reservists would be called up for partial mobilization.

Putin’s address comes a day after Russian-controlled regions in eastern and southern Ukraine announced referendums on joining Russia.

The referendums, to be held between September 23 and 27, in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces, represents around 15% of Ukrainian territory, or an area about the size of Hungary. 

Putin says he is defending Russia

Putin accused the West of “nuclear blackmail,” noting “statements of some high-ranking representatives of the leading NATO states about the possibility of using nuclear weapons of mass destruction against Russia.”

He said that those who made such statements should know that “our country also has various means of destruction” and “when the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal.”

“This is not a bluff,” Putin added.

He also accused the West of sowing divisions, saying the West aimed to “weaken, divide and ultimately destroy our country.” 

rm/kb (Reuters, AP)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/putin-announces-partial-mobilization-in-russia/a-63189355?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf