Vladimir Putin has probably decided the partial mobilization past his highest military leaders. In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy calls on the Russians to stop their President Vladimir Putin. what happened in the night
Russian President Vladimir Putin simply ignored his most important military officers when deciding on partial mobilization. This is the assessment of the US Institute for the Study of the War (ISW). The experts write that Putin apparently coordinated directly with the commanders in the field, who apparently asked for human supplies.
Putin may have simply circumvented standard military rules, such as giving new recruits proper training before sending them to the front.
Putin has bypassed the chain of command on other occasions when it comes to making decisions about his “special operation.” Apparently he has lost confidence in the military leadership. In the case of mobilization, the “ISW” assumes that Putin, as commander-in-chief, may have issued contradictory orders, which led to errors in the mobilization of Russian men.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the Russian people to stand up to Putin and stop the war. “To stop this, you have to stop this one in Russia who wants war more than life,” Zelenskyy said in a video message released in Kyiv. Only one person in Russia wants war, he said, referring to Putin.
In another video published almost at the same time, Selenskyj addressed the multi-ethnic region of the Caucasus in Russia in particular. He urged people to fight for their freedom and not to be sent to the war in Ukraine. In the Russian republic of Dagestan in particular, there had recently been violent protests against the partial mobilization ordered by Putin. There are complaints that it is primarily members of ethnic minorities who are sent to war.
Zelenskyi said Putin “spits” on human lives. Russia brings death, torture, rape and ruin. “You can still stop that.” The citizens would have to stand up and “fight” for that. He praised the broad opposition to the partial mobilization with which Moscow is trying to cover up the failure of the Russian army. But the people of Russia must fight for their freedom, the Ukrainian President warned. “Fight not to die!”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Putin to ease tensions over the war in Ukraine. Such steps are expected from Moscow, especially with regard to the question of the accession of the four Ukrainian regions to Russia, Erdogan said on Thursday in a conversation with Putin, according to the Turkish Communications Ministry. Erdogan had previously criticized the holding of sham referendums in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. Turkey is a NATO member and has good relations with Ukraine – but also with Russia.
The sham referendums on the accession of occupied regions in southern and eastern Ukraine to Russia are not recognized worldwide. This is because they were held in violation of Ukrainian and international laws and without minimum democratic standards. The sham votes were also not verifiable by independent observers. There were also numerous reports that residents of the regions felt pressured.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has sharply condemned the announced annexation of the Ukrainian territories by Russia, describing it as legally worthless. “It is not compatible with international law. It goes against everything the international community is supposed to stand for,” Guterres said in New York. The Kremlin’s announcement represents a dangerous escalation, has “no place in the modern world” and must not be accepted. Russia, meanwhile, invokes the self-determination of peoples.
The National Security Council is meeting in Kyiv this Friday with a view to the planned Russian annexation of parts of eastern and southern Ukraine. President Zelenskyy has announced a reaction to the annexation of the Ukrainian territories and has called for tougher sanctions against Russia.
At the request of Russia, the UN Security Council is meeting in New York for an emergency debate about the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Putin described the damage as an “act of international terrorism”. According to the Kremlin, during his phone call with Erdogan, Putin spoke of an “unprecedented sabotage” against the gas pipelines from Russia to Germany. Ukraine accuses Russia of carrying out the attack to exacerbate Europe’s energy crisis and spark panic ahead of winter.
With a partial mobilization of the Russian armed forces, Kremlin chief Putin wants to bring about a turnaround in the war against Ukraine. Men are being rounded up across the country and sent to the front. But instead of patriotism, horror is spreading among the people – and resistance.
Putin has called for partial mobilization. But there are many indications that Russia is assembling a mass army. Is that purposeful? No, military experts believe. One historian even believes it will spell the end of Russia as we know it.
After the so-called partial mobilization was announced, thousands of Russians tried to leave the country. Yuri Rescheto reports from Riga.
