In a new twist and in the face of setbacks on the battlefield of the so-called “special military operation” in recent weeks, Putin decreed a “partial mobilization” in the country, but was still careful about the word “war”, which was limited to use in the context of the West’s actions since 2014.
“In this situation, I believe that it is necessary to make the following decisions, which are appropriate to the threats we face. To defend our homeland, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, to guarantee the security of our people and of the people in the liberated territories, I consider it necessary to support the proposal of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff to carry out a partial mobilization”, said.
The partial mobilization, he specified, implies the call-up from this September 21 to the reservists and, above all, to those who passed the military service. At the moment, 300,000 troops will be mobilized, or 1% of the reserve.
But a large part of the Russians is not for the work, not even many of those who supported the “special operation” are happy when those who are in danger are the children, husbands or brothers.
In this way, hundreds of thousands are trying to leave the country. Minutes after Putin’s announcement, all direct tickets for the day to destinations in Turkey and Armenia, two of the places where Russian airlines fly, were sold out.
A single telegram chat dedicated to the topic of crossing the border brought together more than 50,000 participants a couple of hours later, who asked questions or told about their experiences. So far, the airlines have clarified that no special document is required to travel and the borders are open, but it is unknown what will happen in the coming days.
While some authorities have said that only those who are called to join will be prohibited from leaving, the Sputnik agency affirmed that the spokesman for the presidency, Dmitri Peskov, commenting on the rumors about the possible closure of the borders for men, advised patience , since “explanations will be provided shortly”.
The Russian Parliament also approved amendments to the Criminal Code that establish high penalties, up to 10 years in prison, for not reporting for military service or desertion in times of war.
The modifications include sentences of up to 10 years for non-compliance with orders from high command, and up to 15 years for acts of violence against them. Also the “voluntary surrender” will be punished with between 3 and 10 years in prison. An aggravating circumstance of a crime will be its commission in times of military actions, armed conflict, mobilization or martial law.
On the other hand, the Federation Council (Russian Senate) approved this Wednesday a law that simplifies the procedure for obtaining citizenship for foreigners who sign a military service contract for at least one year, who will be able to apply for Russian citizenship without having before a residence permit or confirm having lived for five years in a row in the territory of the country, as required by current legislation.
The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, had already declared that the migration center in the town of Sakharovo is preparing the necessary infrastructure so that migrants who wish to can enlist. Although it has not been specified, it is not ruled out that even illegal immigrants (among whom there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of Cubans) can do so.
Even Solovyov, a Kremlin-aligned communicator, He suggested the possibility of requesting support from countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, North Korea and Cuba.
Previously it was announced that the authorities of Lugansk and Donetsk called separate referendums on their accession to Russia, which will take place between September 23 and 27. The administrations of the provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia joined this plan, which, if approved, could mean another escalation in the situation.
Marches against the mobilization are scheduled for this afternoon in the center of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, as well as in all the cities where it is possible to organize them. The scope of this initiative is unknown, given the strong repression unleashed in recent months against anyone who dares to raise their voice against the situation, and even for calling the war by his name.
What is not at all clear is how all these events will influence the course of the war, no matter how they want to designate it.
