Putin says ‘partial mobilization’ of Russians for war in Ukraine is complete

The “partial mobilization” of Russia’s citizens to fight its war against Ukraine has been completed, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

Asked during a press conference whether he would sign a decree ending the recruitment drive he announced on September 21, Putin replied that he would consult lawyers on next steps.

“Frankly, I didn’t even think about it. I will discuss with lawyers whether it is necessary to announce by decree that it has been completed,” he said at the event at the Black Sea resort of Sochi. “But it’s complete. The line has been drawn.”

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday that all mobilization activities, including the delivery of subpoenas, had been completed.

Citing the ministry, Putin said 41,000 of those recruited were currently in Russian Armed Forces combat formations.

“In other words, almost 260,000 people are not participating in any hostilities, but they are being trained,” Putin said.

Context

Moscow’s recruitment drive has been plagued by mistakes, caused furious protests and sparked a mass exodus since it was announced in September.

Protests broke out in ethnic minority regions and some military enlistment offices were set on fire. The original announcement also sparked rare anti-war demonstrations across Russia.

The country has been forced to increase security measures at the military registration and enlistment offices “due to increased attacks” on these facilities, a Russian official told AFP. CNN .

Countless Russians fled the country as a result of the partial mobilization. More than 200,000 people traveled from Russia to Georgia, Kazakhstan and the European Union in just the first week, collective data from those regions showed.