Putin drafts reservists to defend key sites from attacks

The Russian government has been tasked with compiling a list of such facilities, while the Russian Ministry of Defense has been tasked with compiling a list of military units for special training.

Back in November, Putin passed a law allowing reservists to be sent to protect important facilities even in peacetime.

The training will last two months, and according to Russian media reports, the recruitment of reservists has already begun. They write that in border areas, reservists will not only guard critical facilities.

Reservists are a small group of Russians who are in reserve and have voluntarily signed a contract to remain in the mobilization reserve.

Can reservists be mobilized?

Russian media emphasize that reservists can be called up for military service. Moreover, in the event of mobilization, they will be the first to be affected.

Reservists are the best candidates for mobilization because they have recently passed a medical examination with certification, taken a qualification exam, and some have even completed military training.

At the same time, Russian media say they do not know whether these exercises could be preparation for a new mobilization in Russia. However, they note that this could be another tool for recruiting people into the army without officially announcing mobilization.

Deployment of reservists in the temporarily occupied territories

Earlier, the Institute for the Study of War reported that the Kremlin had passed a series of laws that effectively allow the deployment of Russian reservists in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

The institute refers to Russian law, which allows reservists to participate in special training to protect critical infrastructure in Russia.

Russia defines four illegally annexed regions of Ukraine as part of Russia, which may allow Russia to send reservists there.