Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a call-up of military reservists last Wednesday after recent military losses in Ukraine. Putin said he will use all available means to protect the Russian people.
His televised speech to the
nation was seven minutes long.
The total number of
reservists the Russian government will call up is around 300,000, Russian
officials said. However, the number could get larger.
It is the first mobilization of reservists since
the Second World War.
After Putin’s decision,
airlines sold out plane tickets
for flights leaving the country.
Russian political expert
Dmitry Oreshkin said “The Russian people will find ways to resist Putin’s
decision. They will organize demonstrations and many men will leave the country.”
Following Putin’s speech, Russian
activist group Avtozak reported small demonstrations in several cities in
Siberia and the Far East, with some arrests.
Russian officials warned
that organizing or participating in these actions could lead to up to 15 years
in prison. The Russian state agency monitoring communication and media warned “We
will block websites if they publish false information about the military reservists”.
The war in Ukraine killed
thousands of people, drove up food prices worldwide and increased energy costs.
Many people are very worried about a possible disaster at Europe’s largest
nuclear plant in Ukraine’s now Russia-occupied southeast.
Russian defense minister
Sergei Shoigu said 5,937 Russian soldiers died in the conflict. However, that
figure is lower than Western estimates of tens of thousands.
Photo Credit: Russian Presidential Press Service via AP and Reuters
Article adapted from VOA News
