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It's not a war, but a Special Military Operation. And that operation goes so well, it is now time not to call a general mobilisation, but only a partial mobilisation.
On Wednesday September 21, at 09:15h, Russian President Vladimir Putin made the announcement that was rumored since days: all members of the Russian Army's reserve, as well as anybody who has ever served in the Russian military, are called upon to do their duty in the Special Military Operation, fighting the Nazi-Ukrainian forces.
Refusing to report will result in 15 years prison. Skipping out during service will result in 15 years prison. And surrendering to the enemy without being incapacitated will result in 15 years prison, as will not trying to flee from a POW camp.
The move is not unexpected. The Ukrainian counter-offensive triggered the first comments on Russian television about the need for mobilisation, and it was just waiting until Russian regional elections had passed, last week. On top of that, the recent meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation didn't go to plan, apparently.
First there was India's Modi publicly stating that this ain't a time for war, and that he had repeatedly asked to stop the whole thing. Then there was a falling out over the same subject with both Turkey and Kazakhstan, to which Putin apparently reacted very agressively. All combined might perhaps explain the rather confused press conference afterwards.
Immediately after the end of the SCO Summit, one Nikolai Patrushev stepped on a plane to meet with Chinese colleagues to discuss strategic stability and public security and law and order. He returned after 2 days, on the 19th. On the 20th, a statement by Putin was announced for the evening, but that was postponed for reasons unknown.
In a first phase, 300,000 reservists are being called up but, as Russia's Kommersant business newspaper noted, the total number of people who will be called up is secret, hence open to modification.
Do I need to add that it all ended with the threat to use nuclear weapons?
Official announcement here.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 21 2022, @01:11PM (19 children)
Does Putin really think he can win a nuclear exchange? What will he arm the new soldiers with? Sticks?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by janrinok on Wednesday September 21 2022, @02:54PM (15 children)
Probably not - but he is gambling that nobody in the West wants any form of nuclear exchange either.
I don't think he is thinking like a rational man now, if he ever did. If he does not succeed in attaining his goals then he knows that he is finished. So he has to live up to his 'hard man' persona, and convince his public that NATO is already taking part in this war. He argues that he is fighting for the survival of Russian speaking people everywhere. He has ordered partial mobilisation of reservists. He has moved the Black Sea Kilo class submarines from Crimea out of reach of any potential threat, after losing both aircraft and naval assets there. He is upping the nuclear threat. He wants the West to back down.
(Score: 2) by quietus on Wednesday September 21 2022, @05:02PM (2 children)
One way to further up the nuclear threat is to do an above ground nuclear explosion somewhere on a testing ground, when wind and atmospheric conditions are favourable.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Wednesday September 21 2022, @06:35PM (1 child)
That would certainly concentrate a few minds - but it comes with its own problems.
There are 2 major testing grounds - the far north of the country and the Kazakh tundra. Unfortunately, the effects would be felt not only by the West but by other nations who are currently 'neutral' in this conflict. A detonation in the far north might go towards Canada and the USA but at this time of the year it much more likely to travel southwards, crossing lots of friendly territory as it does so.
Kazakhstan is technically an independent country and might not be amenable to having such a test on its territory, nor would its neighbours in the Caucasus feel too pleased either. The whole point of these two places is that they are not only remote but that they are far enough away from prying foreign eyes. Yes. the fallout would certainly reach the West eventually but only after crossing quite a few other countries beforehand. And what, in the end, would it prove? We know that Russia has the weapons.
A bigger and more likely risk it to intentionally attack one of the smaller nuclear power stations inside Ukraine in something of a scorched earth policy and at the same time removing some of Ukraine's power generation capabilities. A favourable wind direction would also exists here. Khmelnitsky or Rivne NPP would be the most likely targets. I would expect the Russians NOT to disable Zaporozhye as it provides a significant amount of power for the breakaway regions. If they were losing however, then they might not care so much about that. They don't have to prove that they have nuclear weapons, only that they are not frightened by the threat of radiation and fallout, whereas the West is much more averse to that risk.
(Score: 2) by deimtee on Thursday September 22 2022, @03:12PM
Or he could combine it with the story from a couple of days ago and solve two problems - use a nuke to take out some of Starlink's satellites.
No problem is insoluble, but at Ksp = 2.943×10−25 Mercury Sulphide comes close.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 21 2022, @10:06PM (10 children)
What makes you think they're not taking part?
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 21 2022, @11:04PM (9 children)
The obvious fact of continued existence of Russia.
(Score: 0, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 21 2022, @11:13PM (8 children)
Don't be silly. Ending Russia would end the war. The idea is to keep it going
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 22 2022, @10:44PM (7 children)
Redundant
Eh... mod squad... whaddya gonna do? Bunch of mindless dweebs
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday September 23 2022, @01:13AM (6 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 23 2022, @03:47PM (5 children)
<Menacing Darth Vader voice>Yes, pray that janrinok does not change it further.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday September 23 2022, @06:35PM (4 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2022, @03:39PM (3 children)
Actually, I was aiming for a +5, Funny but whatever.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday September 25 2022, @02:59AM (2 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 25 2022, @03:04AM (1 child)
Not huffy, disappointed.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday September 25 2022, @03:14AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 26 2022, @05:01AM
Doesn't hold too much water to a population that see clearly it is not under attack.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday September 21 2022, @09:58PM (2 children)
Well he's down to sticks and nukes so I picture a nuke duct taped to a stick.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday September 21 2022, @10:00PM (1 child)
To be honest......that's some fucking war hammer!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 22 2022, @07:36AM
You can call it the "Warhammer: 40K" if you get the right sized nukes.