Ukraine news – live: Putin looks for more soldiers as ‘drops mobilisation rule for fathers of three’
The Kremlin has denied dropping a rule permitting fathers of three to defer mobilisation in Russia’s war in Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin is feared to be mulling a further push for troops.
Citing the deputy chair of Russia’s Human Rights Council, state Duma deputy Nina Ostanina claimed that the loophole in Mr Putin’s mobilisation drive last autumn had been closed, in comments echoed by a top military official in Russia’s Zabaikalsky region.
But a senior politician in Mr Putin’s ruling United Russia party, Andrei Turchak, denied that the rule had been scrapped, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was “not aware” of the rule’s cancellation. Kyiv has repeatedly warned that Moscow plans to mobilise half a million more troops.
It came as Russia vowed to take retaliatory measures against French media in response to RT France’s announcement that it was shutting down after authorities used European Union sanctions to freeze its bank accounts.
Kyiv urged its allies to “think faster”, as pressure piled on Germany to decide on supplying Kyiv with its main battle tanks, the Leopard 2.
