Putin Announces Partial Military Mobilization... "300,000 Reservists to be Mobilized" (Comprehensive)

Russian President Vladimir Putin [Photo by AP]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on the 21st (local time) that he will issue a partial military mobilization order. Despite the ongoing deterioration of the war situation, Russia, which had not issued a wartime mobilization order until now, is expected to enter a full-scale wartime system by issuing a partial mobilization order. The Russian Ministry of Defense has decided to call up 300,000 reservists.

According to Russia's TASS news agency, President Putin said in a pre-recorded state TV broadcast on the same day, "I have signed a partial military mobilization order, and mobilization will be implemented from today," emphasizing, "The West wants to destroy us, but we will achieve the liberation of the Donbas region as planned."

Immediately after President Putin's announcement, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated in a press release that 300,000 reservists will be called up. He said there are currently no plans to deploy additional conscripted troops. He emphasized that the mobilization targets those with prior military service experience, saying, "This is not about student mobilization. Students should calmly go to school."

Some expect that forced mobilization of companies for the production of military supplies and weapons to carry out the Ukraine war will be implemented.

Until now, President Putin and the Russian government have referred to the Ukraine war as a "special military operation" limited to the Donbas region and emphasized that a national general mobilization order would not be issued. However, as Ukraine's counteroffensive, supported by Western weapons, intensifies and Russian forces begin to retreat from major occupied areas such as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces, it is interpreted that a partial mobilization order has been issued for the time being.

Along with this, President Putin indicated his intention to forcibly hold referendums for annexation to Russia in the Russian-occupied areas, including the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. President Putin emphasized, "Russia will support the decisions made by the residents of Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson provinces." In these regions, referendums for incorporation into Russia are scheduled to be held from the 23rd to the 27th of this month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.