Ukraine news: Putin announces “partial mobilization” in Russia

The essentials in brief:

• Putin orders “partial mobilization” and announces possible annexations
• Ukrainian President reacts calmly to Russian voting plans
• EU chief diplomat Borrell threatens the Kremlin with further sanctions
• The US is helping Ukraine to solve war crimes

Almost seven months after the start of the war against Ukraine, Russia announced a “partial mobilization” of Russians of military age. He supports the defense ministry’s proposal to mobilize reservists who have already served and have “relevant experience,” Putin said in a recorded televised speech. The corresponding decree has been signed and mobilization will begin on Wednesday. According to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, 300,000 reservists are to be mobilized against Ukraine.

The announcement was linked to unsubstantiated allegations against the West. For example, Putin claimed that the West did not want peace between Ukraine and Russia, rather that it wanted to “destroy” Russia. “It is in our historical tradition, in the destiny of our people, to stop those who strive for world domination, who threaten our motherland, our homeland, with dismemberment and oppression.” Russia will use all its resources to defend its people. Putin also threatened to use nuclear weapons. Defense Minister Shoigu admitted that his country was fighting “not so much against Ukraine, but against the West.”

At the same time, the Kremlin chief announced the possible annexation of Ukrainian territories with the help of “referendums” in the occupied territories. “We support the decision made by the majority of citizens in the People’s Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk, in the Kherson and Zaporizhia Oblasts,” Putin said. Sham referendums on accession to Russia are to take place as early as Friday.

Ukraine demonstratively left

According to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak, the announced “partial mobilization” shows that the war is not going according to plan for Russia. The step was to be expected. The other statements by the Russian President are rhetorical. The aim is to hold the West responsible for the war and the deteriorating economic situation in Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted with demonstrative calm to the announcement of “referendums” on the annexation of occupied areas of his country to Russia. “Our position does not change due to noise or any announcements,” he said in his video address on Tuesday evening. “We are defending Ukraine, we are liberating our country and most importantly we are not showing any weakness.”

The simultaneous referendums without any controls amount to a quick union with Russia and are seen as the Kremlin’s reaction to the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the east of the country. In 2014, Russia similarly annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has condemned the announced votes as a “mockery” of Ukraine and the United Nations. The renewed provocation should not result in a withdrawal from support for Ukraine for fear of a further escalation of the conflict, the Greens politician warned on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. “The arms deliveries will continue because it saves lives,” added Baerbock.

According to British military experts, the Kremlin wants to forestall a counterattack by Kyiv with the planned mock referendums. That’s according to the daily intelligence update from the London Ministry of Defence. “This rush is probably driven by fears of an imminent attack and the expectation of greater security after formal incorporation into Russia,” it said.

EU is considering further sanctions

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has threatened the Russian leadership with further sanctions. These illegal votes could not be seen as an expression of the free will of the people living in these regions under constant military threat and intimidation from Russia, Borrell wrote in a statement. Russia and everyone involved in this and other violations of international law must be held accountable. The results of the referenda would not be recognized by the EU, he explained.

US assistance in solving war crimes

The governments in Washington and Kyiv want to cooperate more closely in solving war crimes in Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. US Attorney General Merrick Garland and Ukraine’s Attorney General Andriy Kostin signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington, the US Department of Justice announced. The US wants to assist Ukraine in identifying, arresting and prosecuting people involved in war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine, Garland said. It is about giving the victims a certain amount of justice, Kostin emphasized.

cwo/sti (dpa, rtr, afp, ap)

This article will be continuously updated on the day of its publication. Reports from the combat zones cannot be independently verified.