Day 213: Putin Toughens Punishment For Refusal to Fight; NATO Condemns Referenda

Facts

• Days after ordering a military draft to enlist 300k troops to fight in Ukraine, Russian Pres. Putin on Saturday signed amendments to strengthen the punishment for voluntary surrender and refusal to fight by up to 10 years in prison. He also signed another law that makes it easier for foreigners who enlist in the Russian army to obtain citizenship.
• This comes as, according to the independent monitoring group OVD-Info, Russian authorities detained more than 700 people across 32 cities on Saturday who were protesting the mobilization efforts .
• Amid the mobilization, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that it has replaced Army General Dmitry Bulgakov — one of its highest ranking generals in charge of logistics — with Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, who is under British sanctions for his role in the siege of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in May.
• Elsewhere, NATO has condemned the Russian-backed referenda in four occupied Ukrainian regions that seeks to make them part of Russia, and promised to increase support to Ukraine. According to Russia’s Interfax news agency, the referenda — which began Friday — saw 23.6% eligible voters vote in the Donetsk region, over 20.5% in the Zaporizhzhia region, and 15% in the Kherson region on the first day.
• Ukrainians have reported that armed soldiers have been going door-to-door to collect the votes, which Russian state media reportedly says is for “security” reasons and that “in-person voting will take place exclusively on September 27.”
• Meanwhile, on Saturday, the TASS new agency reported that Russia’s lower house of parliament, Duma, may debate bills incorporating Russian-occupied areas into Russia on September 29 — two days after the end of the referenda.

Sources: Rferl, Al Arabiya, Reuters, BBC News, and The Guardian.

Narratives

• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by The Guardian. The referenda being held in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine are a brazen exercise in propaganda. Russia has no right to essentially annex any Ukrainian territory, and these referenda are completely illegitimate. Thankfully, the votes will have no impact on the ground or on Ukraine’s resolve.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Al Mayadeen. The referenda are being held in an open and transparent way, and the people of eastern and southern Ukraine have the full right to secede from those in Kyiv who have oppressed them. The move is also highly strategic, as Moscow’s opponents will suddenly find themselves engaged in a war on Russian territory, not only de facto but legally as well.