Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin did not discuss the possibility of a second wave of mobilization in Russia.
“I can’t speak for the Ministry of Defense, there is no discussion about this in the Kremlin,” Peskov said.
Thus, the Kremlin representative responded to a request by journalists to comment on messages appearing on Telegram channels about a possible second wave of partial mobilization.
Earlier, Peskov had already dismissed the possibility of a second wave of mobilization. “There is no new wave,” he said on October 12. Prior to this, the authorities of the Kursk and Rostov regions announced that they received a “new mobilization task”, as well as the transition to the second phase of mobilization.
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the start of partial mobilization on September 21. He explained his decision by the fact that such a measure is necessary to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Russia. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, 300 thousand people were conscripted. On 31 October, the department reported that all mobilization-related activities, including the delivery of subpoenas, were terminated.
The decree of the President of Russia on the completion of the mobilization was not published. Emphasizing that the mobilization issue is “over”, Putin promised that he would discuss the signing of the decree with lawyers, noting that he did not consider it necessary to sign a separate document on the completion of the mobilization. Peskov later stated that there was no need for such a document, and the presidential administration came to this conclusion.
In November, the chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, told RBC that calls continued to come to the military registration and recruitment offices even after the mobilization was completed to clarify the data.
“These subpoenas are just for this, that is, a person comes and presents the documents and gives information about himself. They will be entered into the database and the person will go home. And again, our villains and opponents, who try to declare that the mobilization continues, are inflating everything. Mobilization completed! – said.
About the objectives of the military operation
During the briefing, Peskov was also asked whether the change of current government in Ukraine was the aim of Russia’s military operation.
“No, the president has already mentioned that,” the spokesperson said.
“Russia is striving to achieve its special military operations goals. These goals can be achieved in different ways and in different formats,” Peskov continued.
A Kremlin spokesman also commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks that Moscow is not seeking negotiations with Kyiv, but wants a short-term ceasefire and a “breathing space” in hostilities.
“Russia wants and will achieve its goals,” said Peskov.
Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev, in an interview with aif.ru, expressed the opinion that the normalization of relations between Moscow and Kyiv is possible only after the change of power in Ukraine, because the current Ukrainian leadership ” is a prisoner of its previous actions, ideological positions. ”
Search for those responsible for the deaths of POWs
The Kremlin spokesman also promised to find and punish those who shot Russian prisoners of war in Moscow’s village of Makeevka.
“Russia will search for those who committed this crime. Peskov said they should be found and punished.
He also did not exclude that Russia could turn to international organizations to bring the perpetrators to justice. “Assuming there are some tips for efficiency and hope for efficiency, then yes, if not, then it wouldn’t make sense,” he said.
Peskov emphasized that Moscow will do “everything possible within the framework of international mechanisms to draw attention to this crime and to call those who may have been involved in this crime to order and law”.
Video footage allegedly showing the execution of Russian POWs in the village of Makeevka began circulating on Telegram channels on November 18. Footage of the first video shows how people in military uniforms similar to Russians leave the house one by one and lie on the ground. They are followed by uniformed men with yellow armbands, possibly Ukrainian soldiers. Those who surrender are asked which of them is an officer. Thereupon, a man came out of the house where the surrendered had come, the video was shot at, and the video was cut short. In a second video taken afterwards, it is seen that 12 soldiers died.
The New York Times confirmed the authenticity of the video. According to media reports, it was held in the village of Makeevka. On November 16, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced that the settlement was under the control of the Ukrainian army.