Russia is preparing a new wave of mobilisation that will target residents of its central regions, especially Moscow, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (HUR) said on January 18, 2023.
Moscow in focus
According to HUR, teams from military enlistment offices are visiting Moscow workplaces to hold recruitment events, using moral pressure and, in some cases, intimidation. Men aged 40 to 55 with prior conscript service and certain military specialities are of greatest interest, HUR said.
Migrants and businesses
Men of draft age from former Soviet republics who apply for Russian citizenship are allegedly being asked to sign military contracts, after which citizenship is granted automatically. Business owners are allegedly being pressured into “voluntary” donations to the armed forces of up to several million roubles.
Patrols
HUR said groups of three to five “volunteers” were patrolling central streets, squares, metro stations and shopping centres to prevent crowds and possible protests. According to alleged instructions, any group of more than 20 people is to be treated as “suspicious.”
Background
Russia announced a “partial mobilisation” in September 2022, calling up some 300,000 reservists and triggering an exodus of men from the country. The Kremlin has denied plans for a new wave. HUR’s claims could not be independently verified.
Sources
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