On 21 September 2022, seven months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia declared a partial mobilization of military reservists. The decision was made a day after the announcement of the Russian annexation of the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
The announcement of mobilization was seen as a significant escalation of Russia's military efforts in the war with Ukraine. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia had a "huge mobilization reserve" and planned to mobilize 300,000 recruits. The precise details of the mobilization plans are currently unclear, however, as the exact number of people to be mobilized is classified.
On 28 October, Shoigu told Russian president Vladimir Putin that mobilization had been completed, which was followed an announcement by Putin of its completion. However, it has been speculated that mobilization will only end after Putin signs a relevant decree, and that covert mobilization would still occur. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted this claim, but as of late December numerous military analysts and media outlets maintain that mobilization continues to take place in Russia. On 18 May 2023, the Plenary of the Supreme Court of Russia issued the Ruling No. 11 "On the practice of consideration by the courts of criminal cases for crimes against military service", in paragraph 2 of which it was noted that the period of mobilization (partial or general) begins from the date and time of the start of mobilization, which are established by the relevant decree of the President of the Russian Federation, and ends with the date and time of cancellation (termination) of mobilization. Thus, the court in fact confirmed that the mobilization was not completed, because the decree on its announcement was not canceled, and a separate decree on its termination was not issued.
Background.
According to "The Moscow Times," Russian authorities had repeatedly rejected the possibility of mobilization at least 15 times prior to the announcement of partial mobilization. For example, on 8 March, Vladimir Putin publicly promised that no reservists would be called upon to fight in Ukraine.
Russia had previously avoided declaring mobilization in Ukraine until this point. Previously, mobilizations were conducted in the Russian Empire during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 and at the beginning of World War I in 1914. The Soviet Union mobilized its population and industry following the 1941 Nazi German invasion during World War II.
Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.
On 19 February 2022, general mobilization began in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DNR and LNR), which at that time were not recognized by any sovereign state, including Russia. Tens of thousands of local residents were forcibly mobilized for the war (according to one estimate, up to 140,000 people by mid-June 2022).
The mobilization was accompanied by mass raids on men of military age. In the enterprises of the region, up to 80% of employees were called up, which led to shutdown of mines and public transport, as well as the paralysis of cities and public services. To avoid mobilization, residents hid or tried to illegally leave the republics.
The mobilization revealed numerous problems of the armed forces of the DNR and LNR. Recruits without training and combat experience found themselves on the front lines without adequate supplies: the units lacked uniforms, weapons, food, and medicines. Human rights activists reported a huge death toll among mobilized recruits in clashes with the better-trained Ukrainian military – up to 30,000 as of August 2022.
Russia.
Distribution of mobilization summons for reservists began in April. The summons handed out did not indicate the purpose of the call-up. Presumably, they were sent out to invite men to military registration and enlistment offices, where they would draft contracts to take part in the mobilization of reserves.
On 28 May, the Russian parliament amended their military call-up legislation, thereby removing the age limit for those wishing to enlist.
After Ukrainian counteroffensives in September 2022, Putin came under increasing pressure from Russian ultra-nationalists and pro-war activists such as Igor Girkin and Alexander Kots, who called for full mobilization and all-out war against Ukraine. Girkin said full mobilization in Russia was the "last chance" for victory.
Russian losses.
In September, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu announced that the Russian military had suffered 5,937 soldiers killed during the war, and that 90% of the wounded had returned to battle. Shoigu's statement was widely regarded to be misleading; as of 16 September, Russian forces had suffered at least 6,476 deaths confirmed by name, according to the BBC. Even this number was confirmed to be low; the list of losses provided by the BBC could be at least 40–60% less than the number of actual military dead buried in Russia, not to mention soldiers whose bodies were left in Ukraine or were deliberately marked as "missing in action".
The BBC collected data on the deaths of more than a thousand elite military professionals, including more than 70 military pilots, more than 370 marines, hundreds of paratroopers, and more than 200 GRU special forces soldiers, of which one in four were an officer. On 21 September, the General Staff of Ukraine gave a figure of 55,100 losses of Russian forces.
On 12 October, citing sources close to the Kremlin, the independent Russian media project iStories reported that more than 90,000 Russian soldiers had been killed, seriously wounded or gone missing in Ukraine.
Prelude.
Volunteer recruitment campaign.
Even before the Kharkiv counteroffensive, the personnel situation in Russia was already considered critical, with personnel from other war zones, such as Syria and South Ossetia, begin redeployed to Ukraine to make up for the lack of manpower.
Around June and July 2022, local authorities of the federal subjects of Russia were tasked with doing a recruitment campaign to form new military formations, in what was called a "covert mobilization". Each federal subject was to form and send a "volunteer battalion". Volunteers were offered short-term contracts with a pay of 40,000 to 50,000 rubles that will increase to 130,000 rubles once they enter in Ukraine. By August, the newly-mobilized volunteer units were grouped in the 3rd Army Corps.
Legislative changes.
On 20 September, the day before the mobilization, the State Duma of Russia unanimously adopted amendments to include the concepts of mobilization, martial law and wartime in the Criminal Code, and introduced several articles related to military operations. Now, during the period of mobilization, voluntary surrender was now punishable by a 10-year prison sentence; looting up to 15 years, and unauthorized abandonment of a military unit up to 10 years. Criminal liability was also introduced for reserve recruits who failed to show up for training, and desertion. The law also introduced punishment for failure to comply with an order, as well as for refusing to participate in hostilities and operations.
Political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann noted that on the official portal of the State Duma, the bill was marked as adopted by both houses of parliament, signed by the president and published, although only the State Duma had voted for it at that moment.
Recruitment of prisoners.
Beginning in July 2022, Wagner PMC representatives began visiting Russian penal colonies. According to media sources, Wagner first began a recruiting tour from the colonies for former security forces, and then switched to high-security institutions. He invited the prisoners to take part in hostilities as part of his PMC in exchange for a pardon, removal of their criminal record, a Russian passport, and cash payments (100 thousand rubles per month, 5 million in case of death). In September, a video appeared to confirm the recruitment of prisoners personally by Prigozhin, filmed in strict regime colony No. 6 in Mari El.
The Russia Behind Bars foundation has collected reports about recruitment of prisoners – according to this data, 9,728 people have been recruited as of 14 September 2022.
Putin's speech.
On 21 September, Vladimir Putin announced the mobilization in Russia in a pre-recorded speech which aired at 9:00 Moscow time. The speech followed the State Duma's amendments to the Criminal Code. In his televised address, he said that Russia was at war with the "collective West," implicitly threatening the use of nuclear weapons. He said that "in order to protect our motherland, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to ensure the safety of our people and people in the liberated territories", he decided to declare a "partial mobilization" of the Russian reserve force. In his speech, Putin stated that the mobilization was suggested to him by the Ministry of Defense and General staff of the Armed Forces. Putin said that only citizens with prior military experience would be eligible for mobilization, and would receive the same conditions as contract soldiers.
Putin accused the United States and European Union of "nuclear blackmail" against the Russian Federation, and recalled the presence of their own weapons. Putin reaffirmed his support for the annexation referendums in occupied Ukrainian territories, pointing to the referendums as a justification for Russia to mobilize.
In his address to the Russian audience, Putin demonized the "Nazi" West and claimed that the Ukrainian government was sending soldiers to the front lines as "cannon fodder". Putin also claimed that the West was trying to divide Russia. Despite the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions, Putin maintained in his address that Russia's goals in Ukraine had not changed.
Decree.
Shortly after Putin's speech, an official decree was published enacting the announced mobilization:
Official publication and entry into force.
The Presidential Decree of 21 September 2022 No. 647 "On the announcement of partial mobilization in the Russian Federation" was published on the Official Internet Portal of Legal Information "pravo.gov.ru" on 21 September 2022. Also the Decree was published on 22 September 2022 on the front page of the issue 223(8861) of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
According to point 10 of the Decree, this Decree entered into force from the day of official publication (i.e. on 21 September 2022 when the Decree was published on the Official Internet Portal of Legal Information).
Point 7.
Point number 7 of the decree is classified. In the public version of the decree posted on Russian government websites, point 7 was not available and was marked as "for official use." Peskov told press that the classified clause referred to the number of reservists who could be called up for military service.
The banned opposition newspaper "Novaya Gazeta", operating in exile, reported on 22 September 2022, that the classified point 7 gives the Defense Department permission to mobilize up to one million men. Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied this, calling the reports "a lie." On 23 September 2022, a source close to one of Russia's federal ministries told "Meduza" that 1.2 million people were going to be conscripted. Peskov also denied this.
Organization.
Text of decree.
The decree does not say that only reserve servicemen are subject to conscription. It lists the grounds for dismissal from military service – age, state of health, court sentence to imprisonment. Deferment from conscription is granted to employees of the military-industrial complex.
The law on mobilization also limits citizens registered with the military from leaving the country:
The State Duma deputies voted for the introduction of the concepts of "wartime" and "martial law" the day before the announcement of mobilization. Senators and deputies of the State Duma are not subject to mobilization.
Citizens to be mobilized.
According to Putin's televised address, "only citizens who are currently in the reserve and, above all, those who served in the armed forces, have certain military specialties and relevant experience" would be subject to conscription. According to Shoigu, 300,000 reservists were planned to be mobilized, called from a pool of 25 million "potential fighters." Conscripts would be sent for training or retraining, after which they would be sent to Ukraine. Reservists may be banned from leaving Russia after receiving a summons. The Institute for the Study of War estimated in March that Russia's reserve comprised over two million former conscripts or contract soldiers.
Political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann noted that according to the text of Putin's decree on mobilization, "anyone can be called up, except for workers in the military-industrial complex." Lawyer and head of the human rights group Agora, Pavel Chikov, expressed doubts about the decree; stating that the Russian Ministry of Defense in fact would decide who, from where and what quantity of soldiers to send to war."
On 22 September Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, stated that mobilization would not be carried out in the Chechen Republic. He explained this by saying the republic had already overfulfilled their duties for force generation.
Implementation.
The military commissars of some Russian regions forbade persons in the reserve to travel