In a pre-recorded televised address on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced A “partial mobilisation” of the country’s two million reserves to protect the “liberated lands” in Ukraine from today.
“Only those citizens currently in the reserve will be subject to a call-up for military service, first and foremost those who have served in the ranks of the armed forces,” he said, revealing that all of them would be trained further and have the same salaries and bonuses as the Russian forces. Saying that he had already signed the decree, Putin said that he would inform the State Duma in writing later today.
Russia will use “all available means” to defend itself, Putin says
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) September 21, 2022
Nuclear insinuation
According to the decree, the mobilised troops’ contracts will not expire “until the end of the period of partial mobilisation,” with only age limit, health reasons, and imprisonment being cited as possible exceptions.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu appeared to admit that the reason for the mass mobilisation was the increasing number of troop deaths, noting that nearly 6,000 Russian troops have been killed during the war. Nevertheless, he claimed that over 61,000 Ukrainian soldiers have also died and a further 49,000 have been injured.
#Putin announced “partial” mobilisation and annexation of parts of #Ukraine. We must not give in to his blackmail and support Ukraine as much as we can. #Russia is as dangerous to Europe and the world’s peace today as Nazi Germany was in the last century #StandWithUkraine
— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) September 21, 2022
However, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claims that over 55,000 Russian troops have been killed in action. There are also reports of hundreds of Russian troops deserting.
Against this backdrop, Putin underscored, “When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. This is not a bluff.” He added that Western countries want to see the “disintegration of Russia” and do not want peace between Kyiv and Moscow.
Putin's address is here, in Russian.
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) September 21, 2022
"The goal of the West is to weaken, divide and eventually destroy our country. They are already directly saying that in 1991 they were able to break up the Soviet Union, and now the time has come for Russia itself..." https://t.co/4StpRpsf8n
Accusing them of pursuing “nuclear blackmail,” Putin warned, “Those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds can turn in their direction” as he said Russia has “various [weapons] of destruction, more advanced than North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries.”
British Foreign Office Minister Gillian Keegan said Putin’s threat of using advanced weapons was “chilling,” adding, “It’s a serious threat but it’s one that’s been made before.” She also noted that the partial mobilisation was a “worrying escalation” and called for “calm.”
Putin’s partial mobilisation of the reserve is a sign of weakness. It signals that his military operations in Ukraine (his illegal annexation and invasion) are not going to plan. Shoigu has no authority left. Ordinary Russians need to see through this massive strategic error.
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) September 21, 2022
Putin also noted that people living in Russia-controlled territories in Ukraine do not want to be “under the yoke of neo-Nazis.” Russia currently controls 60% of Donetsk and nearly all of Luhansk. Additionally, the pro-Russia officials of Kherson, Luhansk, and some parts of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, which amounts to about 15% of Ukraine, announced that they will hold referendums on joining Russia from 23-27 September.
However, these regions are under now threat after Ukraine successfully recaptured the Kharkiv region in a counteroffensive earlier this month. There were also reports last week that Russian troops near Kherson were negotiating their surrender.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 20 September 2022
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) September 20, 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/gmR2GIiKs1
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/svK8sD2icX
Furthermore, according to the daily update from the British Defence Intelligence, Russia has “almost certainly” moved its Black Sea Fleet’s KILO-class submarines from the port of Sevastopol in Crimea to Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai, southern Russia due to the change in “threat level in the face of increased Ukrainian long-range strike capability.” “In the last two months, the fleet headquarters and its main naval aviation airfield have been attacked,” it noted.
The Russian Navy had deployed the submarines near the Black Sea port of Odesa at the beginning of the war to fire long-range Kalibr missiles at targets on land. It proved difficult for the Ukrainian forces to defend against them, as they could strike 50 metres under the surface of the water. However, the United States’ delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine has been a game-changer.
Until today the Kremlin has been claiming that its ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine has been going according to plan. Vladimir Putin's "partial mobilisation" dispels that one.
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) September 21, 2022
British Defence Intelligence also remarked that Putin wanted to guarantee a base for the fleet, which was apparently one of the reasons behind the annexation of Crimea in 2014, which led to a constant battle between Ukrainian forces and the eastern Donbas region separatists. “Base security has now been directly undermined by Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine,” the statement noted.
The decision to move the submarines follows a Ukrainian strike on an ammunition depot in Crimea last month, and weeks after eight Russian fighter jets were destroyed at the Saki airbase, about 225 kilometres away from the Russian border in Crimea.
Russian Senator Vladimir Dzhabarov says that general mobilization is not necessary but partial mobilization will compensate for Ukraine's 3:1 manpower advantage in Russian-occupied territory
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) September 21, 2022
Putin's mobilization policy is necessary to prevent more Kharkiv-style setbacks
Despite Russia preparing a new offensive, however, during a visit to the recaptured city of Izium last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to “return” Crimea to Ukraine “because this is our land and our people.”