Thursday 29 September 2022 09:26 AM Putin's 'Dad's Army' of ageing reservists line up to go to war trends now
Humiliating photos show how Putin has resorted to sending a 'Dad's Army' of ageing reservists to the Ukrainian front lines in the latest embarrassment to the Kremlin.
The desperate Russian tyrant ordered the mobilisation of 300,000 extra troops last week in a bid to reverse the fortunes of his botched invasion, in a move which spooked thousands who fled the country.
But other hardy civilians decided to join the war effort despite their age, health and limited training, to bolster troop numbers after Kyiv's stunning counter-offensive.
In Sevastopol in Crimea, silver-haired and wrinkled recruits stood in line in their uniforms at a ceremony before they took a much-needed cigarette break and then made their way to the front lines.
The images, taken on Tuesday less than a week after Putin's order, shows how rushed the mobilisation has been, compared to the six months' minimum training usually provided.
Ageing reservists drafted during the partial mobilisation attend a departure ceremony in Sevastopol, Crimea, before heading to the front lines
The desperate Russian tyrant ordered the mobilisation of 300,000 extra troops last week in a bid to reverse the fortunes of his botched invasion
Putin announced on September 21 a mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of Russian men to bolster Moscow's army in Ukraine
Hardy civilians decided to join the war effort despite their age, health and limited training, to bolster troop numbers after Kyiv's stunning counter-offensive
In Sevastopol in Crimea, recruits stood in line in their uniforms at a ceremony before they took a much-needed cigarette break and then made their way to the front lines
Reservists drafted during the partial mobilisation smoke next to buses as they depart for military bases
After a counteroffensive by Ukraine this month dealt Moscow's forces heavy battlefield setbacks, Putin called up 300,000 reservists to join the fight
The men drafted into the war effort are among the working class rural communities who have been unable to join the masses escaping over the border into neighbouring Georgia, Kazakhstan and Finland.
The number who have fled now likely exceeds the number of troops in Putin's original invasion forces, military intelligence suggests.
The British Ministry of Defence said in its daily update today: 'In the seven days since President Putin announced the 'partial mobilisation' there has been a considerable exodus of Russians seeking to evade call-up.
'Whilst exact numbers are unclear, it likely exceeds the size of the total invasion force Russia fielded in February 2022.
'The better off and well educated are over-represented amongst those attempting to leave Russia.
'When combined with those reservists who are being mobilised, the domestic economic impact of reduced availability of labour and the acceleration of 'brain drain' is likely to become increasingly significant.'
Those sent to war were already lamenting the outdated equipment and poor morale just weeks after the outbreak of war, an investigation by the New York Times claims.
A reservist drafted to the war effort during the partial mobilisation bids farewell to his adult son as he heads to the front lines
That partial mobilization is deeply unpopular in some areas, triggering protests, scattered violence, and Russians fleeing the country by the tens of thousands
The men drafted into the war effort are among the working class rural communities who have been unable to join the masses escaping over the border
The number who have fled now likely exceeds the number of troops in Putin's original invasion forces, military intelligence suggests
Elderly wives and mothers say goodbye to their loved ones in an emotional farewell during the departure ceremony
Unauthorised phone calls made by soldiers to their families in March via shared cell phones among units near Bucha were intercepted by Ukraine and translated by the Times.
Many troops revealed the Kremlin had lied about the purpose of the war, showing an early insight into the reality on the ground.
One man named Sergey told his girlfriend: 'Some guys took armour off of Ukrainians' corpses and took it for themselves. Their NATO armour is better than ours.'
