They called for the Motherland – Newspaper Kommersant No. 202 (7403) of 10/29/2022

On October 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Novo-Ogaryovo to announce that partial mobilization has been completed in Russia. Special Correspondent “Kommersant” Andrey Kolesnikov I tried to understand what it means.

The meeting came as a surprise to onlookers like me. But for Sergei Shoigu, however, too. This is evidenced by the fact that for this meeting its participants needed a table similar to the one at which the presidents of Russia and France met in the Kremlin’s Representative Office. Sergei Shoigu, by all indications, does not have a few free days for quarantine. Yes, and the good news could not and, most importantly, should not have waited so long.

— Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief! – Sergei Shoigu addressed and recalled the essence of the matter. – Since September 21, the military commissariats, together with the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, have been carrying out partial mobilization measures, within the framework of which it is planned to call up and send 300 thousand citizens to the troops. Large-scale work was launched in all regions of our country (we noticed.— A.K.). The governors and all levels of executive power, from municipal to regional, provided enormous assistance and support.

Two governors I know were surprised when I asked if they were called “subjects” among their own, and one even asked to refute it. But now, as in the canonical version, which becomes any version, consecrated by the presence of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and it will, presumably.

– During the partial mobilization, more than 1.3 thousand representatives of executive authorities of various levels were called up and sent to the troops (this is good news.— A.K.), over 27 thousand entrepreneurs (well, not everyone, it turns out, managed to do what they wanted.— A.K.). 13 thousand citizens, without waiting for summonses, expressed a desire to fulfill their duty and were sent to the troops as volunteers (yes, there is nothing to object to. After all, this, or rather, such a people is really invincible.— A.K.). The average age of the mobilized citizens was 35 years, Sergei Shoigu stated.

He certainly acknowledged the problems:

– At the initial stage, there were problems with the supply, various types of allowances.

However, the problems are recognized as former:

“Today, these problems have been resolved,” the Minister of Defense reported. “All those who arrived in the troops are provided with the required types of allowances, uniforms, equipment, food according to the norms of contract servicemen. Particular attention is paid to the training of those called up from the reserve in training centers and training grounds, where at present 218,000 people are improving their training as part of crews and crews.

At the time when he was talking about this, a message came that journalist Svetlana Babayeva, with whom I had worked in Moscow News in the early 1990s, had died at one of the Crimean training grounds. She died. Ridiculous, ruthless. Do not return. Don’t fix. The most stupid thing is to ask how it is. It just happened. Just longing.

“After completing the training, 82,000 people were sent to the area of ​​the special military operation, of which more than 41,000 operate as part of units,” Sergei Shoigu continued.

We somehow knew these figures, or heard, or guessed. But, of course, it made sense to hear them from the Minister of Defense. They are also canon now. And you can guess even further.

“Those who participate in the hostilities will receive the status of a combat veteran and the corresponding package of social benefits,” Sergei Shoigu unexpectedly encouraged the mobilized (however, whoever says what would be what would be wrong.— A.K.).— The dispatch of citizens called for mobilization was completed today. Citizen notification has been discontinued. The task set by you – 300 thousand people – has been completed. No additional tasks are planned. The military commissariats, within the framework of a special military operation, will continue to recruit troops only by accepting volunteers and candidates for military service under a contract.

It must be understood that the phrase “no additional tasks are planned” obliges a lot. In the end, it was possible not to pronounce it. For everyone will surely remember her, if anything. After all, it is now canonical.

On the other hand, this is not currently planned. And then you have to plan. And it will be a completely different story.

When? Exactly after the planned draft, for which now the military registration and enlistment offices have a free hand. And after working with those who have, so to speak, “demobilization”. After all, they, too, may want to sign a contract. And the business of the military is to offer.

But still, Sergei Shoigu said this for a reason. And we must proceed from the fact that additional tasks are not planned. Otherwise, what is the starting point? Is this the canonical version after all or not?

“I would like to thank everyone who took part in this great work,” answered the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. “You yourself noted that there were certain problems and difficulties at the first stage. This was probably inevitable, bearing in mind that such events have not been held in our country for a long time.

As you know, since the Great Patriotic War.

And it looks like the problems and difficulties made a strong impression on Mr. Putin.

“We need to draw the necessary conclusions,” he added. “It is necessary to modernize the entire system of work of the military enlistment offices. This work, as you know, is directly related to interaction with regional authorities. It must be built on a modern level. I know that the Ministry of Defense is taking these steps jointly with the government of the Russian Federation – the actions that have been taken and made it possible in the end to overcome all these difficulties and reach the parameters that were necessary to complete this work.

Oh, how it turns out, it was not easy for all of them. It’s good that they did it anyway.

“Today, the most important thing is equipment, training, coordination and everything related to making people feel confident if they need to take part directly in hostilities,” Vladimir Putin said. “Please repeat to me again these numbers. Today, out of all the mobilized…

Yes, the canonical version had to be finalized right now.

– 218 thousand are at the training grounds, where they undergo training and combat coordination, – Sergei Shoigu repeated.

“So,” said Vladimir Putin.

– 82 thousand people are in the areas of the special military operation. Of these 82,000, 41,000 operate as part of subdivisions,” the minister detailed.

“As a matter of fact, 41,000 operate as part of combat units, and all the rest are still being trained in one way or another,” the president deciphered even more carefully.

He explained not for the Minister of Defense, but for his people.

To make people calmer.

Because the Minister of Defense can still afford not to think about his people all the time. But the president can’t.

– Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich, – Sergey Shoigu confirmed. – We pay special and separate attention to this, because it is necessary to send trained, trained, equipped.

“Absolutely, this is how it should be done,” agreed Vladimir Putin.

Well, they understood each other perfectly.

– In this regard, I would like to say something else, – the President nodded. – We have a plan for the development of the armed forces and are in the process of working. It is being carried out, and is being carried out at the pace and to the extent that it provides, agreed upon at all levels.

He could not have said otherwise that everything was fine and then everything became somehow not very good.

And so he said:

“We have done a lot to develop the Strategic Missile Forces, the Strategic Missile Forces, so that our ground forces and other units are equipped with modern types of weapons, including long-range and high-precision weapons. All this is and in the conditions of hostilities shows itself from the best side. Much has also been done for the construction of the navy. Nevertheless, based on the experience of conducting a special military operation, we need to think over and make adjustments to the construction of all components of the armed forces, including the ground forces.

Criticism of the state of the troops was voiced at a meeting that was supposed to be life-affirming for the country. The end of mobilization is not a reason for life-affirmation?

– I ask you to work out the details related to this task within the department and discuss all issues at the expert level so that we can prepare and make all the necessary decisions in a short time so that they are combined with the development plans of enterprises military-industrial complex,” the president added.

Apparently, there will be meetings with the military in Sochi. They were, as you know, traditional and regular, once every six months, and then it suddenly became clear that it was necessary to work out the details, discuss issues and make decisions, which, therefore, had not yet been adopted.

“Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich,” said Sergei Shoigu.

More precisely, he, of course, squeezed the name of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to the limit, he simply even squeezed it – in order, apparently, to carry out orders with this name faster.

“We will agree that in December at the annual board, after all this work, I will repeat once again, including at the expert level, so that these proposals are reported to you and could be adopted,” on the one hand, the president was finishing.

On the other hand, it is clear that at least until December all this will last.

— And in conclusion, I want to thank everyone who joined the armed forces, — Vladimir Putin added. , our citizens, our people. And I ask you to convey these words of gratitude to the troops.

“Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich,” the minister nodded again.

Now the main thing is that the cessation of partial mobilization does not mean the onset of a full one.

Andrey Kolesnikov