Volodymyr Zelensky,
the Ukraine President, called on Russians conscripted into the military as part
of Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilisation move to ‘sabotage enemy activity’.
Zelensky addressed a video speaking to Russian troops and said they should “hide”
from mobilisation and “avoid summons” of military commanders.

“If you get
into the Russian army, then sabotage any enemy activity, interfere with any
Russian operations, give us all important information about the occupiers:
their bases, headquarters, ammunition depots,” Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian
president’s call came after Vladimir Putin’s announced a partial mobilisation
of reservists. The Kremlin’s move is expected to give Russia nearly 300,000
troops. The presidential decree keeps the door open for a broader call-up.

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Russia
announced partial mobilisation after Ukraine troops launched a counteroffensive
broke through lines outside Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second most populous city.

Ukraine’s
troops moved into Donbas, a region controlled by Russian proxy forces, forcing
the Kremlin’s units to fall back quickly, losing soldiers and military hardware.

Videos have
emerged of arguments between military troops and civilians where troops are seen
rounding up people for conscription.

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Many across
Russia are trying to leave the country. Cars can be seen queued up outside
borders of countries such as Belarus, Georgia and Armenia.

Meanwhile in
Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk, referendums are underway on the question of
joining Russia. Ukraine and its western allies, including the United States, have
called these referendums ‘a sham’. United States President Joe Biden said the
referendums are a “false pretext” to try to annex parts of Ukraine by force in
flagrant violation of international law including the United Nations charter.

Several
western nations have cited the example of Crimea to say that Russia had used
the same modus operandi to annex the region, a referendum. However, there are
also those who point out that Ukraine’s separation from the dissolving Soviet
Union had also occurred through a referendum.