<Anchor>
Russian President Putin, who has recently been on the defensive in the Ukraine war, has turned to an escalation rather than looking for an exit strategy.
He issued a military mobilization order to mobilize 300,000 reserve forces, the first since World War II.
After re-warning the possibility of using nuclear weapons, Ukraine
and the West strongly condemned it.
Correspondent Kwak Sang-eun reports from Paris.
<Reporter>
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the mobilization of the military in a speech to the public.
President Putin explained that the mobilization order was partial, not exhaustive, but the Russian Ministry of Defense said that 300,000 reserve forces would be mobilized.
[Putin/Russian President: Again, partial mobilization, that is, only citizens who are currently in reserve will be subject to conscription.]
Putin also said that if the Russian territory is threatened, he will use all means, including nuclear weapons. threatened that
He also expressed support for a referendum for Russian incorporation starting tomorrow (22nd) in Donbas and Kherson and Zaporiza states in eastern Ukraine.
[Samuel/American Political Scientist: (The present situation) shows that the Russian military is not designed to conduct such a long war.]
Ukrainian President Zelensky said, "President Putin wants to drown Ukraine in a sea of blood." The sea of blood includes the blood of our own soldiers.”
"Russia's mobilization order is proof that Russia is already aware that there are problems with its officers and other military personnel," he said.