Criticism grows louder over Russia’s chaotic troop mobilisation

Military call-up has been criticised by the Kremlin’s own supporters – something unheard of in Russia since its ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine began.

Russia’s two most senior lawmakers on Sunday addressed a string of complaints about Russia’s mobilisation drive, ordering regional officials to get a handle on the situation and swiftly solve the “excesses” that have stoked public anger.

In a direct message to Russia’s regional governors – who she said had “full responsibility” for implementing the call-up – she wrote: “Ensure the implementation of partial mobilisation is carried out in full and absolute compliance with the outlined criteria.

The strongly pro-Kremlin editor of Russia’s state-run RT news channel also expressed anger that enlistment officers are sending call-up papers to the wrong men as frustration about the military mobilisation grows.

For the mobilisation effort, Russian officials say 300,000 troops are needed with priority given to people with recent military experience and vital skills.

Reports have surfaced of men with no military experience or past the draft age receiving call-up papers, adding to outrage that has revived dormant – and banned – anti-war demonstrations.

His Telegram posting criticised the way exemptions were being applied and listed cases of inappropriate enlistment including nurses and midwives with no military experience.

The governor of Buryatia, a region that adjoins Mongolia and is home to an ethnic Mongol minority, acknowledged some had wrongly received papers and said those without military experience or who had medical exemptions would be exempt.