Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a partial military mobilization on Wednesday, placing the country's people and economy on wartime alert as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine persists.
In a pre-recorded television message, Putin reiterated prior assertions that Western countries were to blame for initiating a proxy war with Russia, saying the West "wants to destroy" his country and is attempting to convert Ukraine's people into "cannon fodder."
The Russian leader stated that "mobilization events" would start on Wednesday without providing any additional information, CNBC reported. Putin added that he had ordered an increase in funding to boost Russia's weapons production since Moscow had committed and lost a significant amount of weaponry during the six-month Russia Ukraine war.
Uncertainty surrounds the idea of partial mobilization, although it may need additional wartime contributions from Russian companies and residents. Despite invading Ukraine in February, Russia has not officially declared war on it and refers to the invasion as a "special military operation."
Although Putin reiterated that there would be no general conscription of Russian men of fighting age, he did affirm that military reserve members would be called up for active duty.
Vladimir Putin said: "I reiterate, we are talking about partial mobilization, that is, only citizens who are currently in the reserve will be subject to conscription, and above all, those who served in the armed forces have a certain military specialty and relevant experience."
He added before reporting to the units, conscripts will be required to complete further military training based on the lessons learned during the "special military operation," per AP.
Russia Holds Vast Weaponry, Putin Warns the West
In an address immediately seen as an escalation, Putin also said that the West was using nuclear blackmail against Russia. Reuters reported that he warned again that Russia had "lots of weapons to respond" to what he said were Western threats, adding that he wasn't bluffing.
Vladimir Putin has made references to Russia's nuclear arsenal several times throughout the conflict with Ukraine, but it is unclear whether Moscow would ever use such a weapon because doing so may equate to the outbreak of a third world war, according to analysts.
Sergei Shoigu, Russia's defense minister, claimed 300,000 of the country's 25 million reserves would be called up.
Another Wrong Move
Meanwhile, German Vice Chancellor and economic minister Robert Habeck remarked that Russia's measure "is another bad and misguided step, per a Bloomberg report.
"For me and for the federal government it's in any case clear that we will continue to fully support Ukraine at this difficult time," Habeck told journalists in Berlin.
With months of training behind them, Ukraine, which proclaimed a mobilization early in the Russia-Ukraine war, has about 700,000 soldiers in the field and intends to build an army of one million.
Putin issued his warnings a day after hastily announcing plans for "referendums" on annexation starting this weekend in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine that Kremlin forces still control. Hence, extending his assurances of defense to those places, Putin stated that Russia would allow such requests to join its territory.
