LONDON: Russian President Vladimir Putin called up 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine and said Moscow would respond with might of all its vast arsenal if West pursued what he called its “nuclear blackmail” over conflict there. It was Russia’s first such mobilisation since World War Two and signified a major escalation of war, now in its seventh month.

It followed recent setbacks for Russian forces, who have been driven from areas they had captured in northeast Ukraine in a Ukrainian counter-offensive this month and are bogged down in south. In a televised address to Russian nation, Putin said, “If territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will use all available means to protect our people this is not a bluff”. Russia had “lots of weapons to reply,” he said.

Russia’s defence minister said partial mobilisation would see 300,000 reservists called up and would apply to those with previous military experience. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said 5,397 Russian soldiers had been killed since start of conflict. United States said last month it believed between 70,000 and 80,000 Russian personnel had been killed or wounded and in July estimated Russia’s death toll at around 15,000. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Russian mobilisation was a predictable step that would prove extremely unpopular and it underscored that war was not going according to Moscow’s plan. Russia already considers Luhansk and Donetsk, which together make up Donbas region that Moscow partially occupied in 2014, to be independent states.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 22 2022

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