January 1, Putin Orders Draft of More Than 134,000 Civilians

Russia announced that more than 134,000 civilians will be drafted amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree stating that the draft will start on April 1 and last until July 15, wherein 134,650 civilian men between the ages of 18 and 27 will be selected.

The announcement comes more than a month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. officials have said that the slow progress and strong resistance from the Ukrainian people have led to rising tensions between the Russian military and Putin.

“We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military, which has resulted in persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership,” the White House said this week. 

“We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth.”

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Putin ordering draft of 135,000 amid difficulties in Ukraine war