The Russia-Ukraine war has been going on for seven months and has made a huge impact on the world. Since it started, almost the whole world came together to help Ukraine in either their military or the safety of their people.
On September 21st Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, addressed the nation, which happens very rarely, and announced a partial mobilization in Russia. Mobilization is the action of a country or its government in preparing and organizing troops for active service. According to NPR, the Russian defense minister ordered a call-up of 300,000 troops, although the real number might be three times as many.
In addition, Putin signed a decree that does not specify how many people will be called up, contrary to what the defense minister said. The decree also does not state which age and qualifications potential conscripts must have.
Since the mobilization announcement, at least 1,300 Russians have been arrested for protesting the draft in 37 different cities around Russia. They could face legal issues after violating new laws that state that “denigrating” Russia’s armed forces is illegal. According to NPR, there have been reports of detained protesters being served draft notices immediately upon arrest.
“I’m worried that this will only further the war and cause many more deaths,” said Ukrainian San Marcos junior Avital Abramov. “This has already been going on for a really long time and the war has had negative impacts worldwide. So, I think this draft will continue to hurt the situation.”
Not only have Russians been protesting, but many have been fleeing the country. Plane tickets have either skyrocketed in price or have been sold out completely. The line at the Russian-Finish border has doubled this week and many people are frantically trying to get visas.
Some papers reported that “How to break your arm?” became one of Russia’s top Google searches these last few days. This is just one of the many ways Russian men are trying to avoid being drafted.
Almost immediately after the mobilization was announced, men started receiving draft notices and left for war on the next day.
Since the draft, there has also been a “referendum” going on in some areas of Ukraine asking the civilians whether or not they want the area where they live to be added to Russia. It is widely viewed that the referendum is a sham. Staged celebrations of the referendum in Ukraine were aired on Russian national television.
PBS stated, “A soldier precedes a poll worker carrying a box of ballots. The occupied literally voting at gunpoint.”
Be sure to listen to the news because there will be more information about the draft every day. To help Ukraine you can donate to the Ukrainian Red Cross or other charitable organizations.
