Russia Preparing For Second Military Call-Up With Over 5 Lakh Conscripts, Claims Ukraine

Ukraine sees this as another sign that Putin has no intention of ending the war. According to Ukraine the conscripts are a part of a string of Russian offensives in the east and south of the country.

New Delhi: Ukraine’s military intelligence has claimed that Russia is set to mobilise as many as 500,000 conscripts in January in addition to the 300,000 it called up in October, as reported by The Guardian. Ukraine sees this as another apparent sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no intention of ending the war.

According to Ukraine’s deputy military intelligence chief Vadym Skibitsky, the conscripts are a part of a string of Russian offensives over the spring and summer in the east and south of the country.

Russia has denied it is preparing a second wave of mobilisation. Last month, Putin called it “pointless” to talk about a new call-up. He further claimed that only half of those already mobilised have been sent to Ukraine, The Guardian reported. Russian officials, including Putin, previously denied plans to order a mobilisation before eventually declaring a “partial mobilisation” in September.

Ukraine’s warning of a new mobilisation comes as Russia claims to have adhered to its unilateral ceasefire on Orthodox Christmas.

The Russian defence ministry on Friday claimed its troops began observing a ceasefire from noon Moscow time “along the entire line of contact”. Nevertheless, a fire station in Ukrainian-controlled Kherson was shelled, killing a firefighter and injuring four other people, according to Kherson’s regional administration.

Meanwhile, fighting appeared to have continued across the contact line in the eastern Donetsk region. The outgoing artillery fire from Russian positions on the city’s outskirts after the truce was meant to take effect, news agency Reuters reported citing witnesses in the Russian-occupied regional capital Donetsk. Russia’s Tass agency reported that Ukrainian forces had shelled the city at noon.

Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed leader in Donetsk, on Thursday evening said Putin’s order only covered offensive operations and that his forces would hit back if fired upon. United States Department Spokesperson Ned Price, on Thursday, called the order of ceasefire in Ukraine by Putin "cynical". Price further said that if Russia is serious about peace and ending the war then it would have removed its army from the Ukraine territory.

(With agencies’ Inputs)