Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)
(Picture: AP)President Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial mobilisation in Russia after nearly seven months of fighting in Ukraine.
In a televised address on Wednesday, the president said: “To protect our motherland, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to ensure the safety of our people and people in the liberated territories, I consider it necessary to support the proposal of the defence ministry and the general staff to conduct a partial mobilisation in the Russian Federation.”
“We are talking about partial mobilisation. That is, only citizens who are currently in the reserves and, above all, those who have served in the armed forces, have military skills and relevant experience. Only they will be subject to conscription,” he added.
Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, said Russia will draft 300,000 people to support its military campaign and only those with relevant combat and service experience will be called up.
Shoigu added that approximately 25 million people fit this brief, but only about one per cent will be drafted in.
It is Russia’s first mobilisation since the Second World War but what does military mobilisation mean?
What is military mobilisation?
Military mobilisation is the act of assembling forces for active duty in times of national emergency or war.
According to the decree published on the Kremlin’s website, the conscription only applies to reservists with previous military experience.
It also states they would be given more training before being deployed to Ukraine, and would not include students or people who had served only as conscripts.
What’s the difference between partial and full military mobilisation?
A full mobilisation means that any reservist could not leave Russia and would need to join the military.
Putin has ordered a part mobilisation so only 300,000 people with more relevant experience will be selected, instead of the whole military force.
The president’s speech came after recent battlefield losses for Moscow’s forces.
Shoigu claimed that 5,397 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion of Ukraine several months ago. However, the US Pentagon said on August 8 it believed the number of dead or injured Russian forces had reached 80,000.
