No more mobilization planned for now, Putin says

Putin has touched upon the thorny subject of mobilization, claiming that another draft was not yet needed in Russia as enough people had been drafted, or had volunteered to fight.

“We had a partial mobilization, we called up 300,000 people… The guys are fighting well, really well,” Putin said.

He claimed 1,500 were volunteering every day across the country and said around 486,000 military personnel had been contracted to fight since the start of this year.

Russian citizens recruited as part of partial mobilization attend combat training in the training spots of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Donetsk, Ukraine on October 05, 2022.

The flow of those who want to defend their homeland with weapons in their hands does not stop,” Putin said.

“So why do we need mobilization? As of today, there is no need for that,” he added, NBC News reported.

Putin also gave a rare insight into the number of Russian military personnel in Ukraine, claiming that 617,000 service members were currently involved in the “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Russia first launched a partial mobilization last year with the move prompting thousands of men of fighting age to leave Russia. Putin said he understood that the topic was a “sensitive matter.”

— Holly Ellyatt

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