MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. More armed units will be formed to defend Russia’s borders, Head of the State Duma (the lower house of parliament) Defense Committee Andrey Kartapolov told reporters on Wednesday.
"Several new formations and units will be established that will first and foremost serve to protect the state border and create an operational depth in areas where efforts continue to achieve the goals of the special military operation," he pointed out.
Kartapolov emphasized that "it is about recruiting slightly over one percent of Russians subject to military service." Those include people subject to military duty who have in-demand military specialties and combat experience, the lawmaker specified. "There are no plans to call up conscript soldiers, students and others who can be deferred from conscription under the mobilization law," Kartapolov stressed.
On September 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on partial mobilization in the country. He pointed out in an address to the nation that the line of contact in the zone of Russia’s special military operation "is over 1,000 kilometers long," while the allied forces were fighting against "not just neo-Nazi units but actually against the entire war machine of the collective West," which threatened Russia’s very existance. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu specified that 300,000 reservists would be called up, who would receive training before heading to the special military operation’s zone. Students and conscript soldiers won’t be called for duty since only those who served in the army and have specific military occupations are subject to mobilization. The defense minister emphasized that the main goal of the mobilization effort is to ensure control over areas liberated during the special operation.