Russia’s mobilisation splits EU as Ukraine says it shows weakness

The partial mobilisation is also triggering protests in Russia, with new anti-war demonstrations on Sunday

A Russian officer checks the temperature of recruits as they line up to be registered at a military recruitment centre in Volgograd, Russia (AP Photo)

Russia’s rush to mobilise hundreds of thousands of recruits to staunch stinging losses in Ukraine is a tacit acknowledgement that its “army is not able to fight,” Ukraine’s president said on Sunday, as splits sharpened in Europe over whether to welcome or turn away Russians fleeing the call-up.

Speaking to US broadcaster CBS, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said he is bracing for more Russian strikes on Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure, as the Kremlin seeks to ramp up the pressure on Ukraine and its Western backers as the weather gets colder.