In a polarising mobilisation effort, the first since World War Two, Russia has finally announced an end to its ‘partial mobilisation’ for Ukraine.
The announcement comes after deploying over a quarter of the gathered soldiers to the front lines.
The process of mobilisation began in late September after the president in his televised address announced the need of deploying Russian soldiers to Ukraine for the fight.
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During a live meeting in the Kremlin, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said, “The task set by you of (mobilising) 300,000 people has been completed. No further measures are planned.” He further claimed that no additional actions are needed and nearly 82,000 soldiers have already been sent to the area. He informed President Putin of the same.
Putin thanked reservists for their dedication to duty, patriotism and unwavering commitment to defend their country, Reuters reported.
People saw the direct effect of Moscow’s special military operation initiated in February and then the call for mobilisation. Thousands of individuals protested for both reasons and were detained.
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During his televised address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his doubt that Moscow had called up all of its troops. He claimed that the Russian military is so poorly trained and equipped that it s assumed that Russia might deploy soldiers soon.
Kyiv in the meantime has kept advancing. Serhiy Gaidai, Luhansk governor on Friday declared that the Ukrainian forces had essentially taken complete control of a crucial route that links Svavtove and Kreminna. The Ukrainian forces have advanced their control of Kherson.
Meanwhile, the US has announced another military aid worth $275 million to Ukraine, bringing US military assistance under the Biden administration to $18.5 billion.
(With inputs from agencies)
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