EKO HOT BLOG reports that Russian President, Vladimir Putin has claimed that the mobilisation of army reservists to bolster his country’s troops in Ukraine will be completed in two weeks, according to a report.
On September 21, the Russian President announced that 300,000 reservists with military experience or education would be called up, a move that followed significant counter-attacks by Kyiv’s forces in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Speaking in Kazakhstan, Putin told reporters that there would be no further call-up for the war in Ukraine, a claim which is likely to be met with scepticism.
He had previously said there would be no mobilisation at all before breaking his promise.
According to The Times, Putin said the reserves had bolstered Russia’s front line in Ukraine, with 222,000 men already called up, 33,000 of them assigned to units and 16,000 involved in combat missions.
He said: “The line of contact is 1,100 km (680 miles), so it is practically impossible to hold it with forces formed only of contract soldiers, especially since they take part in offensive activities.”
On September 21, the Russian President announced that 300,000 reservists with military experience or education would be called up, a move that followed significant counter-attacks by Kyiv’s forces in eastern and southern Ukraine.
He also claimed: “We haven’t set ourselves the objective of destroying Ukraine; of course, we didn’t.”
Whole neighbourhoods of Ukrainian cities have been destroyed in artillery barrages and aerial bombing, and the United Nations has estimated this week that more than 6,000 civilians had been killed and more than 9,000 wounded.
Speaking after a week of sustained Russian attacks on dozens of towns and cities, Putin said there was “no need for massive strikes now”, adding: “There are different objectives now.”
Asked if he regretted the Russian incursion into Ukraine, Putin replied: “What is happening today is quite unpleasant, to put it mildly, but we would have found ourselves in the same situation but a bit later, under conditions that would have been worse for us. So, what we are doing is right and timely.”
Putin warned against any direct confrontation between NATO troops and the Russian army, saying that such a situation “would be a very dangerous step that might lead to a global catastrophe”.
Click to watch our video of the week:
Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), under the tutelage of Hon. Monsuru Akinloye, recently launched…
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has said that the…
Alexander Isak's impressive scoring streak continued as Newcastle United defeated a 10-man Aston Villa to…