![]() “If they declare full-scale mobilization, some people wouldn’t like it,” said Ignatov. In addition, it could diminish support for Putin at home, as some Russians support the invasion of Ukraine without wanting to personally go and fight, the analyst said. Full-scale mobilization could also damage the struggling Russian economy, he said. “It would change the whole Kremlin narrative,” said Ignatov, noting that the move would force Putin to admit that the invasion of Ukraine has not gone to plan. Mobilization could mean extending conscription for soldiers currently in the armed forces, calling on reservists or bringing in men of fighting age who have had military training, said Ignatov.īut it would also represent a big risk for Putin. Russian forces have lost at least 15,000 soldiers since the beginning of the war, according to Nixey, and reinforcements will be needed if Moscow is to achieve its goals in Ukraine. Russian servicemen at a parade rehearsal on April 28. The Russian president has a keen eye for symbolism, having launched the invasion of Ukraine the day after Defender of the Fatherland Day, another crucial military day in Russia. Western officials have long believed that Putin would leverage the symbolic significance and propaganda value of the day to announce either a military achievement in Ukraine, a major escalation of hostilities – or both. “May 9 is designed to show off to the home crowd, to intimidate the opposition and to please the dictator of the time,” said James Nixey, director of the Russia-Eurasia Programme at Chatham House told CNN. Victory Day is marked by a military parade in Moscow, and Russian leaders traditionally stand on the tomb of Vladimir Lenin in Red Square to observe it. May 9, known as “Victory Day” inside Russia, commemorates the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II. Western officials believe Putin could formally declare war on Ukraine as soon as May 9, a symbolic day for Russia, paving the way for him to step his campaign. The average monthly wage in Russia is 57,344 roubles.Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, and since then President Vladimir Putin has insisted that his troops are carrying out a “special military operation” instead of a war.īut speculation is growing that this could change in the coming days. Selfie, which sits in the shadow of one of Josef Stalin's so called Seven Sisters skyscrapers, offers an array of Russian wine though the foreign wine is expensive.Ī bottle of 2009 Chateau Roc de Cambes from Cotes de Bourg in France is listed in the menu at 46,000 roubles ($683), though it costs less than $100 a bottle in London, according to wine searcher websites. "The deficit that has been created will give an opportunity for domestic production and domestic trade to develop," said Podzolko. Since chef Anatoly Kazakov always worked with Russian produce, Selfie still offers a menu of delicacies including sea urchins from Murmansk, scallops from Sakhalinsk in the Pacific, and duck from Rostov in the south. "Corporations cancelled all major events because everyone was hostage to such deep stress and our fine dining suffered the most." "Almost all birthdays have been cancelled," Podzolko said. "Selfie is an expensive restaurant - there is a certain contingent of guests here for whom the crisis is more emotional than economic," Podzolko told Reuters. Maria Podzolko, the director of Selfie, a restaurant awarded a Michelin star last year, said that some of the exuberance had gone - and wine prices had risen sharply as there was not yet enough domestic production. In one elite Moscow restaurant, there was a sense of foreboding mixed with a nascent confidence that Russia would endure - and even use the crisis as an opportunity to thrive long term. Ukraine and the West say Russia launched an unprovoked war of aggression. Putin says he launched what he calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine to prevent the West from using Ukraine to threaten Russia and to root out people he calls dangerous nationalists. Putin has railed in recent years at what Moscow sees as attempts in the West to revise the history of World War Two to belittle the Soviet victory. The Soviet Union - made up of Russia, Ukraine and other Soviet republics - lost 27 million people in World War Two, more than any other country. Victory Day is a major public holiday in Russia these days. ![]() "For me, this is a very strong psychological blow, and almost all of my inner circle is experiencing the same thing," said Evgenia, who mentioned many "for sale" signs in her area of Moscow. One man, Dmitry, spoke of the "constant tension" of the situation while a woman called Evgenia said the conflict had been a blow.
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