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Russian President Vladimir Putin issues a decree on increased mobilization of the army. One reason is the threat of “NATO expansion”.
Ukraine is also preparing for reinforcements to stop the Russian invasion war.
The announcement by the Russian military on Friday evening of an ordered troop increase of “15 percent” came after Putin had already ordered the mobilization by decree.
“The increase in the army’s full-time strength is due to increased threats linked to the special military operation and the continued expansion of NATO,” the Russian army announced in a statement.
In actual terms, the Russian mobilization means a reinforcement of 170,000 soldiers. The expansion is a “reasonable” response to “aggressive activities by the NATO group”.
However, people must not be forcibly conscripted. A previous Russian mobilization during the war of invasion was met with sharp criticism and many men fled the country in fear of being drafted.
This time, mobilization will take place through promises of financial compensation, according to the military.
The messages from the Kremlin came at the same time as Ukrainian President Zelenskyi spoke about the need for more people to be called up to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
In a video address to the nation, Zelenskyy said the rules should be changed to improve mobilization. He said he believes most Ukrainians understand the need for more soldiers
Ukraine’s military command has also gathered to discuss how to achieve “more concrete results” to push back the Russian offensive next year, according to Zelensky.