Partial mobilization of troops completed, Russian defense minister says

MOSCOW

Russia has completed the partial military mobilization of 300,000 reservists, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said on Friday.

Shoygu informed President Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Moscow that the recruits were enlisted in accordance with the presidential order.

"The task you set – 300,000 people – has been completed. No additional tasks are planned," he said, adding that 82,000 soldiers were sent to the conflict zone in Ukraine, half of whom continue training, while the other 41,000 are part of active combat units.

Shoygu admitted problems in the recruitment initially, but said they were successfully handled.

For his part, Putin asked Shoygu to analyze all "weak spots" in the process and make the necessary corrections.

He declared mobilization on Sept. 21 to enlist up to 300,000 recruits between the ages of 18 and 50 in the Russian military, and help in Moscow’s "special military operation" in Ukraine, which began in February.