Ukraine Takes Brutal Dig At Russia's Mobilization Effort In Latest Mash-Up Video

As the Russian mobilization for its war in Ukraine is underway amid public protests and news of eligible men attempting to flee the country, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry took to social media to mock Moscow's efforts to bolster its forces.

The latest mash-up video posted by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry on Twitter shows Russian police beating and arresting men protesting the mobilization effort.

Taking a dig at the Russian army for its recent rout, Ukraine's defense ministry tweeted along with the video, "Russia still has remnants of a professional army that the Ukrainian army hasn't yet destroyed."

"We also know that soon these "soldiers" will be at the front, and with such a love for alcohol, it will be easier for them to die on our land," it added.

The latest jibe from Ukraine's Defense Ministry comes after a report said that there were nationwide protests in Russia against the "partial" mobilization decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin and an effort was underway in Russia to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people.

On Wednesday, Putin ordered Russia's first mobilization since the Second World War, following which the country's defense minister said the partial mobilization would lead to the call-up of 300,000 reserves.

The mobilization order follows the recent lightning offensive by Ukrainian forces, which saw the Russian army's rout in the northeastern Kharkiv region — Moscow's biggest failure in the seven-month-old war.

Russia's attempts to shore up its faltering invasion of Ukraine have triggered a rush for the border by eligible men, the arrests of over 1,000 protesters, and unease in the wider population.

Given the losses faced by Russia, mobilization could mean more soldiers barely ending up at the battlefront, as cannon fodder.

Putin on Wednesday, in a televised address, warned the West saying, "When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. This is not a bluff."

Later in the day, while addressing a gala concert marking the 1160th anniversary of Russian statehood, Putin said Russia was fighting for its independence and sovereignty.

"We will fight for our Fatherland, for our Motherland, the only one we have, for our freedom, independence, and sovereignty, for our culture and traditions. We will defend and protect them in the name of our ancestors and our descendants, for the sake of Russia, its great history and great future," he said.

Although Russian officials sought to downplay Putin's nuclear threat saying they were not seeking open confrontation, Washington has issued a stern warning that it would respond decisively to Russia using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, spelling out that Moscow would face "catastrophic consequences."