In a rare live address, Putin said members of the military reserve, especially those with active duty experience, would be called up, a move that comes after Moscow suffered a series of military setbacks seven months after its invasion of Ukraine. And in an apparent threat to the West, he warned of “nuclear blackmail”, threatening to respond with the force of his massive arsenal. He said he was not bluffing about using all means at his disposal to protect Russia’s territory, which appeared to be a veiled reference to Russia’s nuclear capability. Putin has previously warned the West not to back Russia up against the wall and rebuked NATO countries for supplying weapons to help Ukraine. The decision will mean that around 300,000 more Russians will be conscripted into the war. It is the first mobilization of Russian troops since the Second World War. “We are talking about partial conscription, that is, only citizens who are currently in the reserve will be subject to conscription, and mainly those who served in the armed forces have some military specialty and relevant experience,” Putin said. The conscripts will receive additional training before being sent to Ukraine and will not include students or those who have only served as conscripts. His speech comes a day after Russian-controlled separatist regions in eastern and southern Ukraine announced plans to hold votes to become parts of the Russian Federation. Referendums are expected to start on Friday in Luhansk, Kherson and the Russian-controlled parts of Zaporizhia and Donetsk regions. Ukraine and Western leaders said the vote results would not be recognized. The president claimed that his goal was to “liberate” the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, as most people in the region did not want to be ruled by Kyiv. Putin’s announcement came against the backdrop of the UN General Assembly, which is meeting this week in New York. People gather at a tram stop in front of a board displaying a portrait of Russian official Sergei Cherkovny in St. Petersburg, Russia, September 21, 2022. A slogan on the board reads: “Glory to the heroes of Russia!” (REUTERS) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address the rally in a pre-recorded speech today. Kyiv said on Thursday morning that Russia’s move was “absolutely predictable”. Western officials said Putin’s speech was a sign of panic on the part of the Russian leader after upheavals on the ground and growing international criticism of his invasion, as well as the first sustained signs of dissent at home against his war. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace described Putin’s mobilization announcement as “an admission that his invasion is failing”. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Putin was in a “panic.” German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck called it “another bad and bad step”, while China called for “dialogue” from all sides. Last week, Putin revealed that China had “questions and concerns” about Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. India called on Russia to end the war. Moscow also said on Wednesday that 5,397 Russian soldiers had been killed since the conflict began, its first casualty update since the war began in February. The US Pentagon claims that up to 80,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded. Moscow’s war in Ukraine has destabilized European security since World War II, killed thousands of civilians, sparked a looming energy crisis, driven up global food prices and fueled fears of a nuclear holocaust.
