Putin Drafts 160000 Men in Russia Largest Call-Up Since 2011

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country biggest military draft in over a decade conscripting 160000 men aged 18 to 30 to bolster forces amid the ongoing Ukraine war. The decree aims to swell Russia active troop count to 2.39 million a move signaling Moscow intent to escalate its military campaign. Announced this week the draft has raised alarms both domestically and across NATO as tensions spike.

Kremlin officials insist these conscripts will not deploy to Ukraine front lines a promise met with skepticism given past breaches. Reports of draftees dying in border clashes with Ukrainian forces last year undercut Moscow assurances. Families and activists fear the new troops will soon face combat despite official denials.

The draft follows Russian strikes that knocked out power for millions in Ukraine this month part of a broader push to seize more territory. Putin claims victories in eastern regions like Donetsk though gains come at a steep cost in lives and equipment. Western analysts see the conscription as a desperate bid to replenish depleted ranks.

Russia military expansion coincides with NATO bolstering its eastern flank adding Sweden and Finland to the alliance in recent years. Putin has cast the draft as a defensive response to Western encirclement a narrative his government has pushed since 2014. Critics argue it a pretext for further aggression not protection.

Domestic unrest is brewing as young men face call-ups with some reportedly fleeing to avoid service. Protests have erupted in cities like Moscow though police have cracked down hard on dissent. The draft scale recalls Soviet-era mobilizations unseen since the 2011 call of 135000.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the move warning it prolongs a war that has killed tens of thousands since 2022. NATO leaders echoed his call for de-escalation while pledging more aid to Kyiv. Russia meanwhile accuses the West of fueling the conflict with weapons and sanctions.

The conscripts will undergo basic training before assignment a process expected to wrap up by late 2025. How Moscow deploys them could shift the war trajectory or spark wider backlash at home. Putin gamble hinges on controlling both the battlefield and public discontent.

International observers say the draft underscores Russia struggle to sustain its invasion without mass mobilization. With winter looming and Ukraine reeling from infrastructure hits the next few months may prove decisive. The world watches as Putin high-stakes play unfolds.