Izvestia: Putin announces partial mobilization, sets out to call up 300,000 reservists
President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a partial call-up in Russia on September 21 due to the length of the line of military contact in Ukraine and the need to counter not only neo-Nazi formations, but the entire military machine of the collective West, Izvestia writes. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu specified that about 300,000 people would be called up. Experts believe that the partial mobilization will primarily affect members of the ground and airborne forces.
In his address, Putin recounted the reasons for the special military operation. The goal of Western countries, he said, is to weaken, divide and ultimately destroy Russia. According to Shoigu, the country s mobilization resources have reached around 25 mln people. A total of 300,000 reservists will be called up. These people will have the status of military personnel under contract and will get the corresponding level of pay. The minister explained that the partial mobilization is necessary to control the 1,000 km line of contact in Ukraine and the liberated territories.
The General Staff will determine personnel categories subject to partial mobilization, founder of Gvardia association of law enforcement agencies Oleg Zherdev told Izvestia.
"The Defense Ministry has probably prepared the lists of necessary specialists in advance," military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told the newspaper. A general ban on men leaving the country will not be required, since the border service will have all the necessary information about people subject to mobilization, the restrictions will affect only them, the expert added.
Judging by the statements of the military department, the ground forces and airborne forces have to be almost doubled, military expert Vladislav Shurygin told the newspaper.
The upcoming referendums were not ignored in Putin’s morning address. Russia will support the decision of the residents of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions on their fate, he said.
First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Alexey Chepa told Izvestia, the residents of Donbass and the liberated territories, who have been waiting for this for a long time, will positively react to Putin s statements about recognizing the referendums. The majority of Russian people, according to the lawmaker, will also understand the decision. As for Western countries, they will not recognize the new referendums, the politician believes. |
