The head of the Russian Republic of Dagestan expressed his anger in a video on Thursday toward draft officers who had been driving around the city of Derbent, calling on loudspeakers for “all male citizens to report to military enlistment offices.
“How could the Derbent draft officers ask people to report to the enlistment and registration office in such a manner?!” Dagestan’s President Sergey Melikov said in a video during a meeting of the Security Council of Dagestan.
“Who authorized them to drive around the city?!” he added.
During his tirade, he played a short video clip on his phone. The audio plays the following message: “Dear citizens of Derbent, all male citizens must immediately report to the Derbent enlistment office. You must have your passport and military identity card with you.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “partial mobilization” decree stipulated that reserve servicemen with previous military experience and men with professional experience required by the military would be called up. A total of 300,000 reservists are eligible to be drafted, according to the decree.
Some context: Since Putin’s declaration of a “partial mobilization” last week, hundreds of civilians have taken part in a wave of protests against the military mobilization in Dagestan, according to social media videos circulated online.
Protesters nationwide have accused the Russian military of drafting students, fathers and men whose age should exempt them from service.
On Thursday, Putin demanded that “mistakes” made during the partial mobilization be rectified.
In the course of this mobilization, many questions arise and it is necessary to correct all the mistakes and prevent them from happening in the future for those citizens who need an exemption,” Putin said in a recorded statement.
“For example, fathers of multiple children or people suffering from chronic diseases or those who are already beyond the age of military service. It is necessary to consider each such case separately.”
“And if a mistake is made, then I repeat, it needs to be corrected. Return home those who were called up without a proper reason,” he continued.
