Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reserves on Wednesday, taking a risky and deeply unpopular step that follows humiliating setbacks for his troops nearly seven months after invading Ukraine. The first such call to Russia since World War II is sure to further fuel tensions with Ukraine’s Western backers, who derided the move as an act of weakness and desperation. The move also led to Russians trying to buy plane tickets out of the country and reportedly sparked some protests. The Kremlin has struggled to replenish its troops in Ukraine by reaching out to volunteers to serve in battalions. There were even reports of widespread prison recruitment. In his seven-minute televised address to the nation, Putin also warned the West not to be bluffing about using everything at its disposal to protect Russia — an apparent reference to its nuclear arsenal. He has previously told the West not to back Russia up against the wall and rebuked NATO countries for supplying arms to Ukraine. The total number of reservists to be called up could reach 300,000, officials said. But Putin’s decree authorizing the partial mobilization offered few details, raising suspicions among analysts and Kremlin critics that the draft could be expanded at any time. In particular, one clause was kept secret. Even a partial mobilization is likely to increase disillusionment or doubt among Russians about the war. Shortly after Putin’s speech, Russian media reported a surge in demand for air tickets abroad amid an apparent drive to flee despite exorbitant prices. The opposition Vesna movement called for nationwide protests, though it was unclear how many would take action, given Russia’s tough laws against criticizing the military and the war. “Thousands of Russian men — our fathers, brothers and husbands — will be thrown into the meat grinder of war. What will they die for? What will mothers and children cry?” said the team. Avtozak, a Russian protest monitoring group, reported demonstrations that drew dozens of people in cities including the Siberian cities of Ulan-Ude and Tomsk, and Khabarovsk in the Far East, with some arrests. As protest calls circulated online, the Moscow prosecutor’s office warned that organizing or participating in such actions could lead to up to 15 years in prison. Authorities have issued similar warnings before other protests recently. State communications watchdog Roskomnadzor also warned media that access to their websites would be blocked for broadcasting “false information” about the mobilization. It was unclear exactly what that meant. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked what has changed since he and others previously said no mobilization was planned, said Russia is effectively fighting NATO because alliance members have supplied weapons to Kyiv. The partial mobilization order came a day after Russian-controlled regions in eastern and southern Ukraine announced plans for referendums to become integral parts of Russia — a move that could eventually allow Moscow to escalate the war. Referendums will begin on Friday in the regions of Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhia and Donetsk. The vote is certain to go Moscow’s way. Foreign leaders are already calling the votes illegal and non-binding. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was a “fraud” and “noise” to distract the public. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Putin’s speech was “definitely a sign that he is struggling and we know that”. Added White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on MSNBC: “It’s all because Russia is losing ground on the battlefield.” Kirby told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that Russia is suffering tens of thousands of casualties, has command and control issues, terrible troop morale, desertion problems and is “forcing the wounded back (into) battle.” But Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who also spoke on Russian television, said 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed in the conflict, far lower than Western estimates. Shoigu also said that only those with relevant combat and service experience will be mobilized, adding that about 25 million people meet those criteria, but only about 1 percent of them will be mobilized. Neither Shoigu nor Putin offered other criteria for the call, so it was not immediately clear how many years of combat experience or what level of training those to be mobilized must have. The decree, signed by Putin and posted on the Kremlin’s website, provided even less clarity, specifying only that “citizens of the Russian Federation” would join the partial mobilization. Another key provision of the order prevents most professional soldiers from terminating their contracts and leaving the service until the partial mobilization ends. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drew widespread international criticism at the UN General Assembly, which continued to put intense diplomatic pressure on Moscow. Zelensky is set to address the rally in a pre-recorded speech later on Wednesday. Putin is not attending. Putin’s game has a strong element of risk: it could backfire by making the war unpopular at home and damaging his own position. He also admits Russia’s underlying military weaknesses. A Ukrainian counteroffensive this month wrested the military initiative from Russia, as well as large swaths of Ukraine once held by the Russians. His speed saw Russian troops abandon armored vehicles and other weapons as they retreated. A spokesman for Zelenskyy called the rally a “great tragedy” for the Russian people. In a statement to The Associated Press, Sergii Nikiforov said conscripts sent to Ukraine would face a similar fate to ill-prepared Russian forces that were repulsed in an attack on Kyiv in the early days of the war. “This is a recognition of the incompetence of the Russian professional army, which has failed in all its tasks,” Nikiforov said. The Russian mobilization is unlikely to have consequences on the battlefield for months due to a lack of training facilities and equipment. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace described Putin’s move as “an admission that his invasion is failing”. Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreskin said it looked like “an act of desperation”. He predicted that the Russians would resist the mobilization through “passive sabotage.” “People will avoid this mobilization in every possible way, they will bribe to get out of this mobilization, they will leave the country,” Oreshkin told the AP. The announcement will not be popular, he said, describing it as “a huge personal blow to Russian citizens, who until recently (participated in hostilities) were happy, sitting on their couches, (watching) television. And now the war has come to their house”. The war in Ukraine, which has killed thousands of people, has driven up food prices worldwide and sent energy costs skyrocketing. It has also raised fears of a possible nuclear disaster at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in the southeastern part of Ukraine now held by Russia. Investigations are also underway into possible war crimes atrocities committed by Moscow’s forces. In his speech, which was much shorter than previous speeches on the war, Putin accused the West of engaging in “nuclear blackmail” and noted “statements by some high-ranking representatives of leading NATO states about the possibility of using nuclear weapons of mass destruction against Russia”. He did not provide further details. “To those who allow such statements about Russia, I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction … and when the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, in order to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal,” Putin said, adding: “It’s not a bluff.” Putin said he signed the mobilization order, which begins immediately, and emphasized its limited scale. “We are talking about partial conscription, that is, only citizens who are currently in reserve and mainly those who served in the armed forces who have a specific military specialty and relevant experience will be returned,” he said.
