The Ukrainian Defence Ministry on Sunday mocked Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilisation move posting on Twitter a mash-up of social media videos of Russian police beating up and arresting men who have been protesting the military call-up.
The online taunting comes at a point when public anger has ignited in Russia triggering protests across the country against the mobilisation.
“Russia still has remnants of a professional army” that the Ukrainian army “hasn’t yet destroyed,” the Ukrainian defence ministry said referring faltering Russian troops in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
“Looks like we’ll be ‘de-mobilizing’ these Russians ahead of schedule,” Ukraine’s defence ministry added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that fake statements on social media were in part to blame for the reaction to the mobilisation announcement.
“We have to look calmly, thoughtfully and objectively at the provocative, huge number of fake statements on social media and not give in to these provocative actions,” he said.
Despite Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s clarification that only those with special military skills or combat experience will be called up, protests have swept Russia against the move. Officials have said that 300,000 more Russians will called up to serve in the mobilisation campaign to bolster Moscow’s invasion in Ukraine.
