Putin signs controversial decree, sparking mobilization fears
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has signed a decree conscripting citizens into the reserve, which may indicate preparations for a prolonged conflict. The Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, Alexei Zhuravlyov, emphasizes the necessity of mobilizing Russia's entire male population. This move is unlikely to be well-received by the public.
Vladimir Putin has just signed a decree on the conscription of citizens into the reserve, and the new law has immediately come into force. This is the first such step in 20 years, which may suggest preparations for a prolonged conflict with Western countries. Alexei Zhuravlyov, the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, noted that it is necessary to prepare "the entire male population of Russia" for possible mobilization.
In the conflict with Ukraine, the Russian armed forces, including paratroopers, marines, and GRU special forces, have suffered significant losses. The three-day operation to capture Kyiv has lasted for three years, and Russians suffer painful losses every day.
Elite units had to withdraw for reformation, and their place was taken by units composed of prisoners and forcibly mobilized citizens. The Russian BBC service reports that Putin's troops lose skilled soldiers every day, which forces the president to make decisions that are not likely to be popular in Russia.
Lieutenant General Viktor Sobolev emphasized that people over the age of 30 will be sent to training camps to gain the capability for military registration. Putin's new decree confirms these plans.
The document imposes an obligation on the Russian government and executive authorities of the Russian Federation to organize training. The decree contains two secret paragraphs regarding the number of citizens to be sent to camps and their training dates. Residents of large cities fear this could mean being sent to the front by force and deception, according to independent Russian media reports.
Military training camps in Russia typically took place in spring or summer. The last January camps took place back in 2003. This time, Putin's decree introduces winter training, which is rare. In 2024, the exercises started in March and were the largest in a decade, as reported by "The Moscow Times." Military commissariats in the Moscow region sent letters to managers demanding lists of employees subject to the military fee law.
Mobilization of young Russians, Putin made a decision
Lieutenant General Viktor Sobolev noted that 100% of young people in Russia should obtain a specialty and be capable of military registration. People over the age of 30 will be directed to training camps to obtain military registration specialty and not be "cannon fodder."
Sobolev emphasizes the necessity of having a trained mobilization reserve. People fear that those mobilized may face the fate that befell soldiers just before the invasion of Ukraine. Some were told they were going for exercises and only found out on foreign soil that the invasion had begun and they were at the front.
Russia has been struggling with the problem of a lack of soldiers for a long time. Recruits from North Korea were supposed to help, but they are poorly trained, die in dozens, and do not present satisfactory combat strength. So far, they have fought in the Kursk region, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted significant losses on them. It seems that Russia will no longer rely on soldiers from Kim Jong Un.
If the authorities indeed turn to young men from large cities, it could provoke social resistance against Vladimir Putin - according to independent media reports. Whether this will actually happen remains to be seen. One thing is certain: the president's decision indicates that the Russian army has a significant problem.
