Documents from the Kremlin that have been made public claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin covertly approved a plan that might have sent a million more men to fight in Ukraine.
The aim, which was made known to a Russian newspaper by a Kremlin source, is more than quadruple the 300,000 figure that was initially stated as part of Putin's "partial mobilization" plan.
Putin Passes 'Secret Law'
The latest figure is likely to intensify the common Russians' worries of being drafted, which have already caused large-scale protests and lines to flee the nation since the proposal was revealed on Wednesday.
It comes amid claims that men without military experience were being called up, despite the Kremlin's assurances it wouldn't happen, and threats to send arrested anti-war protestors to the front lines. There have been reports of university students being dragged out of class in one isolated area.
The redacted Section 7 of Putin's proclamation reportedly states that up to one million men might be mobilized, according to the exiled independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which cited an unnamed Kremlin source. According to the unidentified Kremlin official, had undergone multiple revisions, and the Russian military requested that it be kept secret.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, acknowledged that the redacted figure contained the mobilization target but said the figure of one million was a falsehood when questioned about it. He quoted Sergei Shoigu, the Russian minister of defense, who said on Wednesday that only 300,000 individuals will be summoned by Moscow, as per Telegraph.
The first mobilization by Russia since the Second World War was announced on Wednesday. According to rights organizations, the development spurred the nation's first significant anti-war demonstrations in months, which led to the detention of more than 1,300 people in 39 locations across Russia.
A significant departure of people who might be eligible for the draft has apparently occurred as a result of the enlistment campaign. The number of one-way flights to surrounding nations increased, and there was an increase in traffic at the border crossings with Finland and Georgia.
As a result of the Kremlin's conflict in Ukraine, countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland are refusing entry to anyone trying to evacuate, and they began doing so at midnight on Monday.
A source said the Russian tourism sector are battling with desperate people who want to leave the country. The Kremlin asserted these claims were exaggerated, but it did not contest the fact that males at anti-war rallies were receiving draft papers. The president's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, claimed that doing so was not illegal, Inependent reported.
Putin: West Wants to Destroy Russia
In a televised speech, Putin claimed that the West wants to destroy Russia and does not desire peace in Ukraine, and that the partial mobilization of its 2 million-strong military Russia's reserves were there to protect its borders.
The West had engaged in nuclear blackmail but Russia had plenty of weapons to retaliate and he wasn't playing games, according to Putin. Russia already views Luhansk and Donetsk as separate states, which together make up the Donbas territory Moscow only partially controlled in 2014.
Both Ukraine and the West consider all of the area taken by Russian forces in Ukraine to have been taken illegally. After making gradual gains after months of fierce combat, Russia now controls roughly 60% of Donetsk and virtually all of Luhansk by the end of July.
These accomplishments are now at jeopardy as a result of Russian forces' expulsion from the nearby province of Kharkiv this month, which resulted in the loss of their key supply routes for a large portion of the front lines in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Pro-Russian politicians declared referendums for September 23-27 in the provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday, which account for 15% of Ukrainian land, or an area roughly equivalent to Hungary, according to Business World Online.
Related Article: 1000+ Russians Protest Vladimir Putin's 'Partial Mobilization' Call for Ukraine War; Citizens Shout 'Life to Our children,' 'No Mobilization'
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