The first batch of Russian reservists whom President Vladimir Putin called up last week has reached Ukrainian territory, according to a senior U.S. military official.
Putin called up approximately 300,000 reservists last week in an escalatory move that defense officials have argued demonstrates his increasingly dire manpower problem.
PENTAGON CONFIRMS RUSSIA’S USE OF IRANIAN DRONES IN UKRAINE
“I think the first portions of the mobilized members of Russian society have, in fact, made it into Ukraine in small numbers,” the official said, adding, “Just the mechanics of outfitting that size of a force is very difficult.” The official also explained that they don’t have “a sense on the numbers that have entered into Ukraine” or where the new troops are heading.
Flights to Istanbul and Yerevan, Armenia, were sold out quickly after the speech, while others attempted to cross borders by vehicle. Protests have broken out in various cities, leading to roughly 2,400 civilian arrests, according to OVD-Info, an independent watchdog that monitors police activity in Russia.
This week, four Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions concluded fraudulent referendums meant as a prelude to annexation. The self-declared Donetsk Republic and Luhansk Republic, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson all supposedly voted to join the Russian Federation, though the results are nearly universally viewed as illegitimate.
The results “were manufactured and manipulated. Ukrainian civilians were forced to cast ballots under the watch of armed guards,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Wednesday’s briefing. “We have seen videos and reports of armed officials going door to door, intimidating voters and stopping Ukrainians on the street and forcing them to vote. These so-called referenda have been an exercise in coercion and disinformation executed by puppet authorities following orders from Russia.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
She previously said the United States and allies would look to further their economic sanctions on Russia if it looks to annex the territories.
There is an expectation from the British Defense Ministry that Putin will announce the annexation of these territories during a speech to both houses of parliament on Friday. In his last public address, he announced the reservist call-up and reiterated his threat to use nuclear weapons, which U.S. officials have condemned as irresponsible.
