Putin asks to "correct mistakes" in military mobilization

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Thursday for a "correction of errors" in Russia's ongoing mobilization as discontent grows over the chaotic call-ups to fight in Ukraine.

The media and Russian citizens on social media reported the arrival of summonses for the elderly, students, patients, and people without military experience.

The mobilization also led to demonstrations and the flight of thousands of men abroad.

"This mobilization raises many questions. We have to correct all mistakes and make sure that they are not repeated," Putin said during a video conference with the Russian Security Council broadcast on local television.

The Russian president indicated that summoning fathers of large families, people with serious illnesses, and even elderly people should not be summoned by law.

"If something goes wrong, it should be corrected and those who were summoned without good reason should be sent home," Putin stressed.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted that "mistakes" had been made in the mobilization, which is supposed to include 300,000 reservists with military experience or useful skills, such as truck drivers.

More than 2,400 people have been arrested during demonstrations against the mobilization in Russia since it was announced on September 21, according to the specialized organization OVD-Info.

Many Russians also chose to flee the country, which caused long queues of cars to form on the borders of Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Finland, and the prices of travel tickets increased with the increase in demand.

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