Kyiv doubts information: Russia announces the end of partial mobilization

The goal of 300,000 recruits seems to have been reached: Russia announces the end of partial mobilization measures.

Kyiv doubts information: Russia announces the end of partial mobilization

The goal of 300,000 recruits seems to have been reached: Russia announces the end of partial mobilization measures. Ruler Putin even concedes problems during recruitment. Kyiv, however, is skeptical: the service of summonses continues, they say.

Russia's partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists for the war in Ukraine has been completed, according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. No new measures are planned, from now on only volunteers will be used, he said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin near Moscow.

However, according to Ukrainian Deputy Chief of Staff Oleksii Hromov, mobilization in Russia is continuing despite statements to the contrary by the Kremlin. "Only public activities related to conscription have been halted, while the process of serving subpoenas to men at home or at work continues," Hromow said. "The main action of the mobilized in the combat zone is expected in about 1.5 to 2 weeks."

The Kremlin chief had announced in mid-October that the call-up of reservists, which was controversial in society, should be completed within two weeks. The Russian capital Moscow had previously announced the end of the mobilization.

Putin once again acknowledged that there were many problems with the partial mobilization that began more than a month ago. The soldiers often did not have the right equipment or were not prepared for deployment in the war zone in accordance with Russian regulations. Many reservists died while deployed at the front. In view of the difficulties, the head of the Kremlin instructed that the work of the conscription offices had to be modernized. For example, men who should not have been conscripted for military service because of illness, old age or other reasons were also conscripted in large numbers. The Kremlin chief ordered them to be sent home.

According to Schoigus, 82,000 men are now deployed at the front. He gave the average age as 35 years. There they are supposed to ensure that Russia does not lose the annexed and occupied Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Cherson again. Putin had said it was about securing a 1,100-kilometer front line.

Ukraine had repeatedly announced that it would liberate its territories - including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia had annexed in 2014. Large parts of the once occupied regions are now back under Ukrainian control.