Russians are increasingly worried that President Vladimir Putin may soon announce a new large-scale mobilization for the war in Ukraine after the parliamentary elections taking place this weekend. Bloomberg reports, according to UNN.
Details
These concerns extend to officials in the Kremlin and military recruitment offices. According to documents seen by Bloomberg News, in recent months they have been trying to open accounts in foreign banks and move assets abroad, while simultaneously urging friends and relatives to leave Russia.
Unlike the previous mobilization in September 2022, which caused a surge of concern among the population and forced tens of thousands of people to flee Russia, this time there may be no official announcement. This is because the Kremlin has quietly built digital infrastructure for conscripting people into the army while simultaneously closing off potential escape routes.
On Friday, three-day voting begins in Russia’s first parliamentary elections since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. United Russia, campaigning as Putin’s party, is expected to retain its majority in the State Duma, which it has held since 2003, in elections that are tightly controlled by the Kremlin.
Russia is suffering enormous losses while making little progress on the battlefield in Ukraine, where, according to Putin, about 700,000 servicemen have been deployed. The Kremlin is forced to recruit about 400,000 people each year to replenish the army’s ranks and relies largely on huge enlistment bonuses and generous salaries to persuade people to sign military contracts. However, as the full-scale war enters its fifth year, signs are emerging that the pool of volunteers is beginning to run out
Previously
Three-day voting in elections to the State Duma began in Russia. Voting will take place from September 18 to 20, including in the occupied territories of Ukraine, amid pressure on observers and coercion of public-sector workers.