Putin "calls up" 2 million reservists!

According to Reuters, this decision comes amid increasingly frequent Ukrainian drone attacks on key refineries and gas pipelines deep within Russian territory.

Top Russian military officials have stated that they intend to use reservists to defend civilian infrastructure, such as oil refineries.

 

 

Additionally, President Vladimir Putin, following a meeting with the country’s top military officials, ordered the regular army to be increased to 1.5 million active soldiers, making Russia’s armed forces the second largest in the world after China.

Putin stated that at least 700,000 personnel are fighting in Ukraine, while Russian lawmakers say there are about 2 million more in the active reserve.

 

 

These are Russians who have signed reserve contracts but typically do not serve actively. It is also believed that most signed these contracts primarily to receive the financial compensation provided.

 

 

Russian Vice Admiral Vladimir Cimlyansky, Deputy Chief of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the Russian General Staff, stated that Ukraine’s use of long-range drones has increased the threat to critical national infrastructure and residential areas.

"To enhance the security of critical facilities and other sites important for the welfare of citizens, it has been decided that the most trained and patriotic citizens will be involved in implementing protective measures for civilian sites deep within Russia," he said.

 

If Russia deploys more reservists to the rear to defend infrastructure, Moscow could potentially free up more of its regular troops for the battlefield in what has become a deadly war of attrition, Reuters noted.

Cimlyansky said that the proposed changes do not constitute any kind of mobilization, although on Russian Telegram channels the decision is being interpreted precisely as a massive mobilization.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has also explicitly stated that reservists will not be involved in what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, nor will they be deployed outside Russia’s borders.

Reservists will serve within their own regions, the Ministry said.

However, judging by posts on Telegram, few people seem to believe that.