Putin toughens military draft conditions with jail terms

• Zelensky urges Russian conscripts to surrender to Ukrainian forces

Russian President Vladimir Putin has maintained a hard stance on mandatory military service as despite rising protests and opposition to continued military operations to annex neighboring Ukraine.

President Putin weekend signed new decrees that solidify the ongoing mobilization of citizens for military service in Ukraine where the invading country is reported to have suffered massive loss of soldiers and equipment.

Under the new decrees, Russian military deserters and those that voluntarily surrender would earn themselves several jail terms that could be as harsh as 10 years behind bars.

Besides, men of military service age have been barred from leaving the country to stem the wave of exodus that greeted the declaration of conscription of more soldiers to repopulate the depleting forces in Ukraine.

Part of the new martial laws provides that captured soldiers would be relieved of penal measures if they are able to escape Ukrainian custody and resume services to the Russian military forces.

The ongoing mobilization programme has been widely criticized across the Russian polity with opposition parties supporting public protests against the administration of Putin.

However, 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.

President Vladimir Putin’s move to order Russia’s first military mobilisation since World War Two triggered protests across the country and seen flocks of military-age men flee, causing tailbacks at borders and flights to sell out.

Multiple reports have also documented how people with no military service have been issued draft papers – contrary to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s guarantee that only those with special military skills or combat experience would be called up – prompting even ultra-loyal pro-Kremlin figures to publicly express concern.

Russia’s top two parliamentarians, both close Putin allies, explicitly addressed public anger at the way the mobilisation drive was unfolding.

Valentina Matviyenko, the chairwoman of Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, said she was aware of reports of men who should be ineligible for the draft being called up.

“Such excesses are absolutely unacceptable. And, I consider it absolutely right that they are triggering a sharp reaction in society,” she said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

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. Without a single mistake.”

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, Russia’s lower chamber, also expressed concern in a separate post.

“Complaints are being received,” he said.

“If a mistake is made, it is necessary to correct it … Authorities at every level should understand their responsibilities.”

Officials say 300,000 more Russians will called up to serve in the mobilisation campaign. The Kremlin has twice denied it actually plans to draft more than one million, following two separate reports in independent Russian media outlets.

Rights groups saying more than 2,000 have been detained at rallies against mobilisation in dozens of cities so far this week, with more protests already having been recorded on Sunday in Russia’s Far East and Siberia.

Meanwhile Ukrainina President, Volodymyr Zelensky is encouraging new Russian conscripts to immediately surrender to his forces on arrival at the frontline, pledging to treat them with civility.

Russian soldiers who surrender to Ukraine will be treated in a “civilised manner”, Volodymyr Zelensky promised.

In his nightly address, Mr Zelensky appealed to Russians to run away or surrender once at the front.

It comes after Vladimir Putin signed a law doubling the punishment for Russian soldiers who desert or disobey orders.

Speaking in Russian – his first language – Mr Zelensky urged Russians to surrender to Ukraine rather than risk being tried as a war criminal after the conflict.

Ukraine will treat deserters in line with international conventions and will not return anyone to Russia if they are afraid of repercussions, he said.

“It is better to surrender to Ukrainian captivity than to be killed by the strikes of our weapons,” he added.

The partial mobilisation sparked a rush to the border, with some Russians attempting to evade a call-up.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have closed their borders to most Russians, saying they are not prepared to automatically grant asylum to those fleeing the draft.

Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets was quoted by the Baltic News Service as saying that the invasion of Ukraine was the “collective responsibility of Russian citizens” and that refusing entry to Russians would hopefully “increase discontent” in Russia.