On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree for partial mobilization in Russia, which began on September 21. This decree aims to implement additional measures for the state defense order. Only citizens who are in the reserve and have served in the armed forces, with relevant military experience and specialties, will be subject to military service.
According to Putin, this decision was made to protect Russia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and ensure the security of its people. Shortly after his speech, all air tickets from Russia to Istanbul and Yerevan for September 21 were sold out, as reported by media outlet Meduza. This is because Russian citizens can travel to Turkey and Armenia without a visa.
The Minister of Defense of Russia, Sergei Shoigu, stated that a total of 300,000 reservists will be called up as part of the partial mobilization announced by Putin. However, Russia claims to have the resources to mobilize up to 25 million people.
Russia has been involved in the war in Ukraine since February of this year, with an army of about 200,000 soldiers. Despite this, they have not achieved their goals so far. In response to Putin’s announcement of partial mobilization, President Joe Biden called on the UN General Assembly to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and condemn Russian aggression. He also condemned the invasion as a violation of the UN Charter.
Biden‘s call was in response to Putin’s blaming of the West for the conflict in Ukraine and claiming that they want to destroy Russia. Partial mobilization puts Russia in a stronger war position, and could mean that businesses and citizens will have to contribute more to the war effort.
President Biden also warned UN member states that the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine threatens the independence and sovereignty of nations around the world. He stated that this war is an attempt to erase Ukraine as a state and its people. He called on all nations to put aside their political differences and stand in solidarity with Ukraine to defend the principles of the UN.
A top Ukrainian official has described the situation as dire, with Russia attempting to extinguish Ukraine’s right to exist as a state and its people’s right to exist. This is a critical moment for the international community to come together and support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
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