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Putin in the Ukraine dilemma: British secret service sees Kremlin before sensitive step to covert mobilization

2023-01-16T10:03:35.442Z


Putin in the Ukraine dilemma: British secret service sees Kremlin before sensitive step to covert mobilization Created: 01/16/2023 10:58 am Vladimir Putin stands in front of a group of Russian soldiers during his New Year's speech. © IMAGO/Mikhael Klimentyev/Kremlin Pool Russia needs more soldiers for the Ukraine war. According to the British secret service, Putin is on the verge of a covert mo


Putin in the Ukraine dilemma: British secret service sees Kremlin before sensitive step to covert mobilization

Created: 01/16/2023 10:58 am

Vladimir Putin stands in front of a group of Russian soldiers during his New Year's speech.

© IMAGO/Mikhael Klimentyev/Kremlin Pool

Russia needs more soldiers for the Ukraine war.

According to the British secret service, Putin is on the verge of a covert mobilization - because he is in a dilemma.

From Russia's point of view, the Ukraine war is relatively deadlocked.

It is true that the strategically important small town of Soledar could only just be taken and thus an important military success could be reported.

But a real breakthrough seems far away.

Putin in the Ukraine dilemma: Is Russia relying on a mobilization trick?

Vladimir Putin needs more soldiers, especially in view of new arms deliveries to Ukraine from the West.

However, the partial mobilization had caused enormously bad press in Russia, as it made many citizens aware of the horrors of war in a very personal way.

The British Ministry of Defense describes exactly this Putin dilemma in its latest report on the Ukraine war: The Kremlin ruler needs new soldiers, but fears losing the support of the population in the event of a new large-scale wave of mobilization.

According to the UK report, Putin could now choose a middle ground as a subterfuge.

According to British military experts, the Russian government could simply raise the age limit for conscription.

According to this, the Kremlin could increase the maximum age of men eligible for drafting from 27 to 30 years in order to achieve the planned increase in the armed forces by 30 percent without renewed partial mobilization.

In Russia, all men between the ages of 18 and 27 are generally conscripted.

However, only part of this age group is drafted for the one-year service.

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Soldier supplies for Putin's war: mobilization could be expanded

"There is a reasonable possibility that the Russian leadership is hoping that changing the age criteria for routine drafting could increase the available staff and appear less alarming to the population than a new round of an unpopular 'partial mobilization process,'" the statement continued .

The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February, citing intelligence information.

In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line.

Moscow accuses London of a targeted disinformation campaign.

(rjs/dpa)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-01-16

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