Putin Addresses Calls for Martial Law

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected calls for martial law or for announcing a second wave of mobilization during a discussion of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

He faced questions about whether he would put the country on a full war footing during the meeting with military bloggers and war correspondents for state outlets at the Kremlin on Tuesday.

Putin has not formally rescinded his partial mobilization announcement made last September. It was widely criticized as being botched, amid reports of recruits receiving inadequate training and equipment.

Putin was asked by milblogger Evgeniy Poddubny about how Moscow would respond to Ukrainian intelligence "conducting terrorist and sabotage" activities in Russia.

During his answer, Putin said that introducing "some kind of special regime or martial law does not make any sense."

"There is no such need today," Putin said, according to a transcript of the meeting on the Kremlin website. "We need to work more carefully on some issues, here I agree with you."

Another prominent war commentator asked if there would be another wave of mobilization, which is in line with what some public figures and milbloggers have been promoting. Putin responded that a second draft was unnecessary, as he praised Russian contract-service recruitment efforts.

Most of the milbloggers that Putin met were associated with the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, and other state-owned outlets, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said. "Notably excluding milbloggers who have been more critical of Putin's war effort."

Jade McGlynn, author of Russia's War, which looks at the impact of Kremlin propaganda on the Russian population, recently told Newsweek that Putin had regular meetings with military bloggers. "He really makes them feel very special, that they're being listened to," she said, although, "we don't know whether or not he does take them seriously."

The ISW said that Putin's comments chime with its previous assessment that the Russian leader is a "risk-averse actor, who is hesitant to upset Russian society by ordering another mobilization wave or establishing martial law."

This indicated that Putin "has not yet decided to fully commit to fighting a total war," as he tries to reassure the country that he "does not intend to expand the 'special military operation' further."

The Russian president did admit on Tuesday that Moscow had not been prepared well enough for the attacks in May in the Belgorod oblast. These were carried out by anti-Kremlin groups the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion.

"One could assume that the enemy would behave in this way, and one could probably prepare better," he said, "but the problem will be solved."