Russia: 200,000 reservists recruited for Ukraine war

Russia's defence chief says military has recruited over 200,000 reservists as part of a partial mobilisation launched two weeks ago. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said recruits were undergoing training at 80 firing ranges before being deployed to Ukraine. Russian President Vlimir Putin ordered mobilization on September 21 in a bid to beef up forces fighting in Ukraine.

Shoigu has previously said that up to 300,000 reservists were to be called up for service, but Putin's order held door open for a bigger recruitment effort and some Russian media speculated that military was actually aiming to call up one million reservists or more.

Russian President Vlimir Putin h ordered a partial mobilization of reservists to bolster his forces in Ukraine, a deeply unpopular move that sparked rare protests across country and led to almost 1,200 arrests. risky order follows humiliating setbacks for Putin’s troops nearly seven months after y inved Ukraine. first such call-up in Russia since World War II heightened tensions with Ukraine’s Western backers, who derided it as an act of weakness and desperation.

move also sent some Russians scrambling to buy plane tickets to flee country. In his 14-minute nationally televised dress, Putin also warned West that he isn’t bluffing about using everything at his disposal to protect Russia — an apparent reference to his nuclear arsenal. He has previously rebuked NATO countries for supplying weapons to Ukraine.