Putin announces a partial military mobilization to "defend Russia": "The West wants to destroy us"

• Direct War Ukraine - Russia, last minute

• Russia Putin exploits nuclear blackmail with an express annexation of Donbas

• UN Allies of Ukraine describe the referendum as a "farce" and open to the possibility of imposing more sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to decree a partial military mobilization, the Russian state news agency TASS reports, quoting the Mash Telegram channel: "We are talking about defending territories and defending

."

has so far

resisted such a move despite mounting losses, largely to avoid public discontent.

In a prerecorded speech that delayed its broadcast, scheduled for Tuesday night,

justified his military aggression and uttered the word "war" for the first time: "The Westerners pushed

into war with us."

"kyiv has refused to negotiate peace and is trying to get nuclear weapons," said the Russian president.

-occupied regions

have announced their referendum plans to join the Russian Federation.

The West regards the vote as a sham and illegal.

If these Ukrainian regions become Russian soil, Moscow may present the fighting on occupied territory as an attack on Russia.

There Putin finds the justification to mobilize part of his two million military reservists.

In an apparently coordinated move, Moscow-installed pro-Russian leaders in the occupied territories have announced referendums from September 23-27 in

,

,

and

.

Together they represent about 15% of the Ukrainian territory, an area the size of

about.

"The

Oblast is almost liberated, and we are making progress in the liberation of the

Oblast, " Putin confirmed, stating that the front line in the

stretches for more than 1,000 km.

"We will do everything possible to ensure that the referendums can be held safely," the Russian president announced.

From the environment of the

they frame the referendums for the occupied regions as an ultimatum to the West to accept the Russian territorial gains or face a total war with an enemy equipped with nuclear weapons.

's allies

describe the referendums as a "farce" and are open to the possibility of imposing more sanctions.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has stated at the

, which is being held this week and in which both Joe Biden and Volodimir Zelenski will participate this Wednesday.

"If it wasn't tragic, it would be a parody."

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