Putin's Partial Mobilisation: What the Hell is Happening?

This morning, Putin announced a partial mobilisation of Russia in response to Ukraine's successful counter-attacks in Kharkiv. But what does this mean in practical terms? And will this actually help Putin achieve its aim of annexing parts of Ukraine?

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[zwojack]

Fascinating how a country that is not at war according to it's leader needs a mobilization.

[balbalblaify]

Before 21/09/2022 - Special Military Operation
After 21/09/2022 - Very Special Military Operation

[Gabeslicor]

"We are mobilizing 2, 500, 000 men!" "Unfortunatly we do not have guns to give them."
It's a tale that is as old as The Russian Empire.

[Emre.]

Imagine invading a country (while refusing to admit to it), claiming parts of their land and then calling it an attack on your own country when they try to retake that territory. That's essentially what Putin is trying to do with those referendums, it's truly mind blowing in the worst way possible.

[florinadrian]

A missed opportunity here. You should have explained that this mobilization is a breach of Putin's unwritten contract with the Russian people: they stay away from politics and let him do whatever he wants as long as their lived are not directly affected.
So mobilization is a dual edge sword that could cut down Putin faster than it could cut Ukraine.

[gromgrim]

As a Russian I can say, that we're feeling the same as you. What the hell is happening?!
Really. Most of people don't understand why we have to go to war. No one tells us nothing. And historically, when Russia starts an unjust war, it always ends bad. God never forgives us these things

[joblo]

I think adding "looting" to the legal framework is particularly ironic. That means that most of the soldiers that served in this war would be guilty. What are they planning to do, ship everyone straight from the front to Siberia?

[robertlee]

If Russia wants to play that game, then the EU should encourage Kaliningrad to hold a referendum on independence.

[Spaceballz]

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
SUN TZU

[sivx]

For Russia to even consider general mobilizations and recruit prisoners to fight in Ukraine pretty much confirms they have lost the war. Its no longer a superpower, barely even a regional power at this point. Just a country with a 2nd/3rd rate military and a lot of nukes.

[junahn]

I recall reading about a military psychology study back in the 1970's in which researchers identified some kind of saturation point at which adding more bodies to an active conflict has the opposite effect you would hope. That makes sense if you think about it. You aren't going to shore up a front by adding untrained, inexperienced conscripts to a front consisting of fleeing, demoralized, and horrifically injured veterans. The considerable logistical issues aside, I am not seeing this really working out for the Russians from a psychology of battle standpoint.

It is pretty clear that Putin is trying to manufacture the psychology of existential threat. He wants to artificially create the mindset of the USSR in 1942, but the facts in evidence make a mockery of it. He was the one who perpetrated this unprovoked invasion. He's the one slaughtering civilians. He's the one kidnapping children and sending them to faraway reeducation camps. This "referendum" is his attempt to put a thin veneer of legitimacy to the lie that he is the victim here. Ironically, his 20 year reign of terror in which he punished anyone with a strong opinion about.... well, anything is now working against him. He has a population of slackers who have quietly quit citizenship entirely and couldn't care less about a national existential threat.

[madvova]

I dont think its 2, 500, 000 men, they announced that they are mobilizing 300, 000 men.

[nevarran]

Time for Ivan the accountant to shine on the battlefield.

[youareliedtobythemedia]

Russia: we don't have trucks to supply our frontline.
Also Russia: conscripts can carry stuff, right?

[shadowraven]

Imagine calling a province of russia american out of nowhere with a fake poll, then proceed to draft 400k soldiers and telling russia to go off of the territory or face war.

[dannyarcher]

TLDR: Putin goes all in
Also TLDR: Putin's Partial Mobilisation

[SRFriso]

Putin announced that the 300.000 men Russia will be mobilizing will be given a month of training. For comparison, minimum basic training in the US Army is three months, and that's before specialization training begins. Either way, Russia's problem isn't really a lack of boots on the ground, it's been supplying those men with food, munitions, and fuel. So adding another 300.000 to the ~150.000 already in Ukraine will only make those logistics problems worse.

[MaSilvie]

Omg guys #1 on trending, been watching you since you were running this week in parliament the first time around, I'm so happy for you 🥳

[lordrynogaming]

One thing I wonder about russia's nukes is, are they as poorly maintained as the rest of russia's stuff. Because I can easily see a russian general just taking the money for themselves thinking "when will these ever be used".

[Valdagast]

The situation reminds me of Churchill's words: "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. It may, however, be the end of the beginning."