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Recruited for the Ukraine War: These men say goodbye to their families
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MAXIM SHIPENKOV / EPA
While numerous young men are leaving Russia because of the partial mobilization for the Ukraine war, President Vladimir Putin apparently wants to allay concerns about being drafted by some groups: The recruitment of state-licensed students at private universities is being suspended, at least temporarily.
This emerges from a decree published by the Kremlin on Thursday.
Accordingly, certain postgraduates and people who want to become priests or take up other religious professions also get a postponement.
According to the official statement, Putin wants to draft at least 300,000 reservists across the country so that they can support the Russian troops after the recent defeats in the Ukraine war.
At the end of September, the Kremlin announced a corresponding partial mobilization.
In a general mobilization, men from the population are generally drafted into the army.
The partial mobilization affects a smaller circle.
Partial mobilization is driving skilled workers out of the country
In this specific case, according to the Kremlin, only people who have already served or have military experience should be sent to the Ukraine war.
Students should not be drafted.
So far, students, employees of state media and IT experts have also been excluded, as have fathers of four or more children.
However, recruitment has been chaotic in many places in the past few days.
There were reports that men who, according to official accounts, should actually be exempt from military service, were also called up.
According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, around 200,000 men have been conscripted so far.
Putin had recently admitted mistakes in the partial mobilization.
According to experts, it has not only led to protests in the country, but also to a mass exodus of well-trained specialists.
fok/dpa
