Putin speech

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the partial mobilization of his country's military Wednesday, a significant escalation of his war in Ukraine.

Kyiv's military has been pressing to make further gains in Luhansk and Donetsk, which together form the industrial Donbas region that Moscow has made its primary goal since failing to seize the capital, Kyiv. Russian-backed separatist officials in the eastern areas of Luhansk and Donetsk, as well as the southern Kherson region and the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia, announced Tuesday that they would hold votes on formally joining Russia over four days starting Friday. Its public backers have delighted in the prospect of an “all-out war” and a new confrontation with the West. The sudden flurry of activity signaled that the Kremlin intends to not just dig in but to ramp up its efforts in a conflict that has dragged on for nearly seven months and recently tilted away from its forces. On Wednesday, the Russian leader stopped short of that step — which could have significantly boosted his ailing forces, but would likely take time and could also have proven unpopular with a public the Kremlin has sought to insulate from the effects of the war. [ Vladimir Putin](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/vladimir-putin) announced the [ partial mobilization of his country’s military](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/occupied-ukrainian-regions-vote-join-russia-war-counteroffensive-rcna48475) Wednesday, calling up reservists in a significant escalation of his [ war in Ukraine](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russia-ukraine-news) after [ battlefield setbacks](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-retreats-ukraine-what-will-putin-do-military-kremlin-rcna47514) left the Kremlin facing [ growing pressure to act](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russian-retreat-ukraine-leaves-putin-pressure-home-rcna46616).

In a rare address to the nation, the Russian president called for a “partial mobilization” of people with military experience and said the goals of his ...

To the east, the cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk fell to the Russians in June and July. The cutbacks, though expected to be temporary, are raising the risks of a painful recession in Europe. “Putin likely hopes to improve Russian force generation capabilities by calling on the Russian people to volunteer for a war to ‘defend’ newly claimed Russian territory.” Ukraine and its Western allies have called for the creation of a demilitarized zone around the plant, something Moscow has rejected. About a month ago, the plant was completely cut off from external power for the first time in its history, briefly plunging it into blackout and forcing the emergency diesel generators to be switched on for the first time. Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for the shelling at the plant, which has moved from one crisis to the next after being occupied by Russian forces in early March. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who was expected to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, said in his nightly address before Mr. It was also a way of acknowledging those in Russia who support the war but have criticized the Kremlin for not devoting the resources and personnel necessary to wage an all-out fight. Russia controls nearly all of two of the four regions, Luhansk and Kherson, but only a fraction of the other two, Zaporizka and Donetsk. “And if the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. He said that Russia’s goals in Ukraine had not changed and that the move was “necessary and urgent” because the West had “crossed all lines” by providing sophisticated weapons to Ukraine. In a rare videotaped address to the nation, Mr.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the immediate "partial mobilization" of Russian citizens in an escalation of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine ...

Don't. [amended the law](https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-09-20-22/h_41eee469cac2606fec91a4b36cde33e8) The announcements had already received swift support from Russian politicians. ["deterrent" strategy](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/28/politics/russia-nuclear-threats-putin-what-matters/index.html) [concerns have been raised](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/22/europe/amanpour-peskov-interview-ukraine-intl/index.html) [dismissed the announcement of referendums](https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-09-20-22/index.html) "Don't. [addressed these concerns](https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/09/18/biden-warns-putin-60-minutes-nuclear-weapon-nr-vpx.cnn) [Kharkiv](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/19/europe/kupiansk-ukraine-liberated-russia-intl-cmd/index.html) [recriminations in Moscow](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/11/europe/ukraine-russia-eastern-front/index.html) [hold referendums on formally joining Russia](https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-09-20-22/h_554bbcf4334fe95f8c2569e2c7601b8c) [sudden and successful Ukrainian offensive](https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/08/europe/ukraine-kharkiv-counteroffensive-russia-intl/index.html)