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Russia's partial mobilisation is complete, Defence Minister says
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday (Oct 28) said that the "partial mobilisation" of 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine that Russia announced in September was complete.
Putin declared a "partial mobilisation" of 300,000 reservists on Sept. 21, after a series of military defeats saw Russian forces routed from east Ukraine's Kharkiv region and under increasing pressure in the southern Kherson region.
Speaking at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin broadcast on state television, Shoigu told Putin: "The task set by you of (mobilising) 300,000 people has been completed. No further measures are planned."
Shoigu said that of the 300,000 mobilised recruits, 218,000 remained in training, while 82,000 had been deployed to the conflict zone, of which 41,000 were had been assigned to their units.
He said that in future, recruitment for the Ukraine campaign would be based on volunteers and professional soldiers, rather than mobilising more of Russia's several million reservists.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday (Oct 28) expressed doubt over Russia's declaration that its partial mobilisation was over, saying the poor performance of pro-Moscow forces meant more men could be needed.
"We have reports the enemy has completed its mobilisation, as if there is no longer a need to send new waves of Russian citizens to the front. We feel very differently on the front lines," Zelenskiy said in a video address.
"Even though Russia is trying to increase the pressure on our positions by using conscripts, they are so poorly prepared and equipped, so brutally used by their command, that it allows us to presume that very soon Russia may need a new wave of people to send to the war."
Russia excludes some IT professionals, bankers and journalists from mobilisation
The "partial mobilisation" touched off an exodus of military age men from Russia, with tens of thousands heading for countries including Georgia, Armenia and Kazakhstan, which allow Russians to enter without visas.
Over 2,000 people arrested at anti-mobilisation protests across Russia. There was public outcry over cases of men being mobilised despite medical exemptions, or a lack of military experience.
Responding to Shoigu, Putin acknowledged problems with mobilisation, saying that they were "inevitable", and said that it was necessary to make "corrections" to the development of Russia's armed forces.
levantnews-reuters
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