It’s become abundantly clear that the United States and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries are doing whatever they can to demonize Russia keeping the war between Moscow and Kyiv going for as long as possible. When asked on Tuesday if a new mobilization would be needed to fulfill the goal of establishing a buffer zone in Kyiv-controlled territories to prevent Ukraine from launching strikes on civilians, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu dismissed the suggestion as “complete stupidity.”
Moscow conducted a partial military call-up in September 2022. Shoigu explained at the time that additional troops were needed to “stabilize the situation, protect new territories” and hold the front line, which stretched more than 1,000km. Since then, Russian officials have repeatedly dismissed claims of a looming new mobilization, fueled by increasingly aggressive draft practices in Ukraine, according to a report by RT.
“All recruitment plans for the army and the navy this year have been fulfilled,” Shoigu said in December. Shoigu added that the overall size of the Russian armed forces stood at 1.15 million service personnel. The size of the country’s military will increase to 1.5 million in 2024, which will include up to 745,000 contract troops. In the meantime, authorities in Kyiv have been looking for various ways to increase their draft numbers, amid reports of general unwillingness among Ukrainians to join the fight against Russia and a shortage of volunteers.
Ukraine is sinking to some pretty disturbing lows to try to get people to fight a war they know they can’t win.
In January, Ukrainian media reported that fighting-age males were to be denied healthcare unless they reported for the draft. In February, a Ukrainian lawmaker suggested barring draft dodgers and their children from the nation’s universities. There were also numerous videos circulating on Ukrainian social media which show the military using violence against
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