Steph Deschamps / 21, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday a "partial mobilization" of Russians of fighting age, paving the way for a major escalation in the conflict in Ukraine.
I consider it necessary to support the proposal (of the Ministry of Defense) of partial mobilization of citizens in reserve, those who have already served (...) and have relevant experience," Putin said in a recorded television address. "The decree on partial mobilization is signed" and will come into effect "today," the Russian president added.
"We are only talking about partial mobilization," the Russian president stressed, while rumors of a general mobilization have been circulating in recent hours. This one will concern 300.000 reservists, announced in the stride the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Faced with "the threat" represented according to him by "the Nazi regime in Kiev", supported financially and militarily by the West, "we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people", Vladimir Putin also warned, referring to nuclear weapons. The Russian president accuses the West of wanting to "weaken and destroy" Russia and to turn Ukrainians into "cannon fodder".
According to him, the West does not want a peaceful solution in Ukraine and has pressured Kiev to take up arms. He also claimed that the West wanted to "suppress the sovereign and independent development centers" in the world to strengthen itself.
Putin once again stressed that the liberation of the entire Donbass, consisting of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, remained the main objective of the "special military operation", the name given by Moscow to the war in Ukraine. He also pledged full support for the previously announced referendums on the annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia. These will be held from September 23 to 27.