Actualised on 22/09/2022 at 19:30
“Today our armed forces, as I have mentioned, are fighting on the line of contact that is over 1,000 kilometres long, fighting not only against neo-Nazi units but actually the entire military machine of the collective West.
In this situation, I consider it necessary to take the following decision, which is fully adequate to the threats we are facing. More precisely, I find it necessary to support the proposal of the Defence Ministry and the General Staff on partial mobilisation in the Russian Federation to defend our Motherland and its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to ensure the safety of our people and people in the liberated territories.
As I have said, we are talking about partial mobilisation. In other words, only military reservists, primarily those who served in the armed forces and have specific military occupational specialties and corresponding experience, will be called up.
Before being sent to their units, those called up for active duty will undergo mandatory additional military training based on the experience of the special military operation.
I have already signed Executive Order on partial mobilisation.
In accordance with legislation, the houses of the Federal Assembly (the Federation Council and the State Duma) will be officially notified about this in writing today.
The mobilisation will begin today, September 21. I am instructing the heads of the regions to provide the necessary assistance to the work of military recruitment offices.
I would like to point out that the citizens of Russia called up in accordance with the mobilisation order will have the status, payments and all social benefits of military personnel serving under contract,” This said Vladimir Putin (President of the Russian Federation) in his address to the Russian People held this morning at 9:00 am.
Going further, Russian Federation Duma has agreed to reform the Penal Law including a harder punishment to dessertion.
Following the information published by Ria Novosti, there’s no agreement on turning into Russian military forces the Ukainian volunteer troops from Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson who are supporting Russian army.
Eager refusal to recognise the results of any anexation ‘referenda’ in Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson by NATO and EU
NATO’s and EU’s reactions against the Crimea like anexation ‘referenda’ announced yesterday were fast and clear after confirmation that the polls have been arranged by the pro-Russian authorities to be carried out between 23rd and 27th September in the Donetsk and Lugansk self declared independent republics and the occupied territories at Zaporozhye and Kherson.
“Sham referendums have no legitimacy and do not change the nature of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This is a further escalation in Putin’s war. The international community must condemn this blatant violation of international law and step up support for Ukraine,” Jens Stoltemberg (Secretary General of NATO) tweeted.
“The EU strongly condemns the illegal ‘referenda’ in Luhansk, Kherson and Donetsk, which are in violation of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in blatant breach of international law. Results of such actions will be null and void,” Josep Borrell (EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs) said on Twitter. Borrell’s tweet includes a link to the official statement condemning the shaun referenda issued by the European Union. The EU official communication goes even further: “Since the start of the invasion Russia has intimidated, illegally detained, tortured and abducted Ukrainian citizens and a significant part of the original population in the invaded areas has been forced to flee. Legally elected local officials have, in some cases, been forcibly replaced. Access to the internet, free and independent media and freedom of expression have also been greatly restricted.
Therefore, these illegal ‘votes’ cannot be considered under any circumstance as the free expression of the will of the people living in these regions under constant Russian military threat and intimidation.
Russia, its political leadership, and all those involved in these “referenda” and other violations of international law in Ukraine will be held accountable, and additional restrictive measures against Russia would be considered…”. I include the link at the end of this post.
To these reactions Vladimir Putin answered this morning with the partial mobilisation order and saying that “The issue concerns the necessary, imperative measures to protect the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Russia and support the desire and will of our compatriots to choose their future independently, and the aggressive policy of some Western elites, who are doing their utmost to preserve their domination and with this aim in view are trying to block and suppress any sovereign and independent development centres in order to continue to aggressively force their will and pseudo-values on other countries and nations.”
Supporting Putin’s position, Ria Novosti have published what they are supposed to be the results of objetive polling among the population from the Ukrainian South East regions concerned by the anexation ‘referenda’. You can find Ria Novosti’s posts on Telegram above.
Mobilising military industry in Russia, as well
“Additionally, the Executive Order on partial mobilisation also stipulates additional measures for the fulfilment of the state defence order. The heads of defence industry enterprises will be directly responsible for attaining the goals of increasing the production of weapons and military equipment and using additional production facilities for this purpose. At the same time, the Government must address without any delay all aspects of material, resource and financial support for our defence enterprises,” Putin added this morning
Image over the headline.- A destroyed Russian BMP-3 near Mariupol, 7 March 2022. Image by Міністерство внутрішніх справ України (Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine) through Wikimedia Commons. To watch the original image and the terms of the lisense, click here
Related external links:
Address by Vladimir Putin to the Russian people held this morning
NATO’s Secretary General tweet
Statement by the North Atlantic Council on the so-called “referenda” in parts of Ukraine
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs’ tweet
EU official communication on the Luhansk, Kherson and Donetsk ‘referenda’
Related Eastwind links:
Read all the declarationas and polls published by Ria Novosti supporting the legitimation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine through the planned anexation referenda at Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson:
