Russia Resorting to Mass Mobilization Would be Huge Blow to Putin: General – Newsweek

Russia resorting to mass mobilization would be a huge blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence.

"It would mean recognizing that Russia has not been able to fulfill all the tasks it declared, that Putin's so-called 'special operation' has not achieved results, and real war is being fought," Skibitsky told the Kyiv Post in an interview published Monday.

Since Putin declared what he has called a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, he has been hesitant to announce war mobilizationa move that would allow the Russian leader to draft conscripts and mobilize reserve forces under Russian law.

There has been growing discussion about whether Russia should introduce martial law and declare a general mobilization to boost the size of Russia's army.

Skibitsky said declaring a general mobilization in Russia would mean declaring war on Ukraine and recognizing that Russia "is an aggressor."

The general also said that according to Ukrainian intelligence, rhetoric about mobilization has dramatically increased in Russia.

"Russia understands that in order to seize the entire territory of Ukraine, which is the primary goal, sooner or later, it will be necessary to enlist additional resources," he said. "The announcement of general mobilization would only be a positive thing to us because the protest mood in Russia is weak, but young people do not want to go to war."

Skibitsky, citing intelligence, said the main people who support Putin's war are those "who are 50 years old and who will not be going to war."

"Young people in their twenties and thirties are needed on the front. Because of that, this announcement of general mobilization would be an indicator that will show the readiness of the Russian people to continue this bloody war," he added.

Some have suggested however that a potential mobilization of Russia's population would not solve fundamental issues that exist within the Russian army.

Alexander Khodakovsky, a Kremlin-backed commander and former political leader in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine, gave a rare bleak assessment of Russia's performance in the ongoing war on his Telegram channel on September 12.

"I am against universal mobilization," he wrote, adding that he believes the reason why Russia is not doing as well as Putin had hoped is not because of a shortage of manpower, but because of their "sloppy use, that is, in the organization of the process."

"If this approach is maintained, the shortage will be constant, no matter how many people you mobilize, and Russia will be overwhelmed by a wave of funeral notices in the absence of the desired result, which will lead to a serious crisis," the commander warned.

"The shortage is precisely caused by a simplified approach, and continuing to cultivate it means simply grinding out resources in the meat grinder of the war," Khodakovsky added.

Echoing Skibitsky's remarks, he warned that if Putin were to eventually announce a general mobilization, the move will serve as a "powerful blow" to the country, "which it will not withstand."

Meanwhile, last week, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov called for every Russian region to "self-mobilize" and send at least 1,000 volunteers to fight in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the initiative "should be assessed by the Ministry of Defense."

Newsweek has reached out to Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment.

See more here:

Russia Resorting to Mass Mobilization Would be Huge Blow to Putin: General - Newsweek