In a televised address to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the partial general mobilization of an initial 300,000 reservists.
However, it is unclear who these reservists are, says Martin Kragh.
- It doesn't have to be former conscripts, but it can be something else.
It is a bit unclear, he says in SVT's Aktuellt.
But the goal is set and the ambitions high, notes Kragh.
Now the big question remains – how are the goals to be achieved?
- In the short term, it will probably be very difficult.
You haven't had volunteers before and now the whip remains, to force people with harsher punishments, says Martin Kragh.
The reservists are at a crossroads;
Either they choose to sit in prison in Russia or die on the battlefield in Ukraine.
- Many may choose prison or other options such as leaving the country, says Kragh.
The mobilization will begin as early as Wednesday, but according to Jan Hallengren, research leader at the Foreign Policy Institute, it will take a long time before the escalation has an effect.
- They will probably send some troops to mark that something is happening.
But before it gets serious, these forces need to train, and the Russian ability to bring in large troops and deliver them to different locations has not impressed before, he says.