In full mobilization of its reservists, Moscow on Saturday toughened the penalties in the event of refusal and replaced its chief of military logistics, a weak point of its offensive in Ukraine, where “referendums” of annexation are continuing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed amendments providing for up to 10 years in prison for soldiers who desert or refuse to fight during mobilization, as is currently the case.
He also signed a law that facilitates access to Russian nationality for foreigners who enlist for at least a year in the army, at a time when Moscow is seeking by all means to recruit more men to fight in Ukraine.
In addition, Army General Dmitry Bulgakov, Deputy Defense Minister, is transferred to “another post” and replaced by Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, who until then headed the National Defense Control Center, has announced the Russian Ministry of Defense in a terse statement.
Mikhail Mizintsev, new “responsible for the material and technical supply of the armed forces”, is already targeted by Western sanctions for his role in the siege of Mariupol (south-eastern Ukraine).
Russian logistics have often failed since the start of the offensive in February. It is again put to the test with the decision of President Vladimir Putin to mobilize several hundred thousand men to try to stem the setbacks recorded since the beginning of the month against the Ukrainian forces and the armament provided by the West. .
This mobilization order, which according to the authorities concerns 300,000 people, has aroused the concern of many Russians, some choosing to leave the country.
“I think” that Vladimir Putin “will succeed in mobilizing 300,000 men as he announces”, estimates for his part the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with several French media.
“Russia was prepared for it. Our allies and the intelligence services have told us that the documents necessary for this mobilization had been prepared well in advance of this announcement,” he added.
He also claimed that an average of 50 Ukrainian soldiers were killed every day. But “the percentage of Russian dead is five times higher,” he says.
Moscow continued on Saturday its “referendums” of annexation, launched the day before in four regions of Ukraine under its total or partial control, despite new threats of sanctions from the West.
The American president, Joe Biden, thus warned Friday evening of the risk of “rapid and severe” retaliatory measures in the event of annexations, considering that “Russia’s referendums are a sham, a false pretext to try to annex parts of Ukraine by force”.
Earlier, in a joint statement, the G7 countries (Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom) had called on “all countries to unequivocally reject these fictitious referendums”, “sham” which “have neither legal effect nor legitimacy”.
Friday evening, in his daily address to the nation, President Zelensky also denounced “pseudo-referendums”.
The Ukrainian army assured for its part on Saturday morning that due to low participation, members of the “polling stations” go, accompanied by Russian soldiers, to the homes of the inhabitants so that they “vote” from their homes. them.
The Russian authorities have not reported any significant incident, although local pro-Russian officials have reported “provocations” in some places.
Without going so far as to denounce the polls, China, Moscow’s closest partner, nevertheless went there with its criticism, calling for respect for “the territorial integrity of all countries”.
These “referendums” organized in the separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk (east), and in areas under Russian occupation in the regions of Kherson and Zaporijjia (south), will end on September 27.
In Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities, authorities staged demonstrations in support of the votes with flags and slogans.
“War crimes”
On the UN side, a commission of inquiry acknowledged on Friday that “war crimes have been committed in Ukraine”, referring in particular to Russian bombardments on civilian areas, executions, acts of torture and sexual violence.
Ukraine has also announced that it has exhumed 447 bodies from a mass burial site in Izium, a town recaptured from the Russians in the northeast, including 30 with “signs of torture” such as bound hands, limbs broken or “amputated genitalia”.
On the diplomatic side, Iran has found itself in the crosshairs of the Ukrainian authorities, who blame it for its arms deliveries to Moscow and in particular drones, which killed one person in a Russian attack on the port of Odessa on Friday.
Denouncing “hostile” behavior, kyiv decided to withdraw its accreditation from the Iranian ambassador to Ukraine and to “significantly reduce” the staff of the Iranian embassy in kyiv.
Iran on Saturday regretted this decision “based on unfounded information” and “relayed by foreign media propaganda” against Tehran, in a statement from its Foreign Ministry.
International celebrities have agreed to offer some of their personal items online to raise funds in support of the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Ukraine.
Among them, the British pop star Ed Sheeran, the basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, the still British singers Ellie Goulding and Annie Lennox, the pop megastar Harry Styles, the artist Shepard Fairey, or the champion of boxing Wladimir Klitschko whose older brother, Vitali, is the mayor of kyiv.