Russian companies soon mobilized to support the war effort | War in Ukraine
In Dmytrivka, near kyiv, Russian tanks destroyed by the Ukrainian army are clearly visible. The Russian army suffered heavy losses during its offensive towards the capital.
The Kremlin will soon have the means to force Russian companies to support its war effort in Ukraine, thanks to to two bills currently before the Lower House of the Russian Parliament.
One provides that companies will not be able to refuse government contracts for goods and services related to a special military operation, a term that Moscow uses for its offensive in Ukraine to avoid talking about war.
The other will change the Labor Code so that the Kremlin can regulate working hours, in order to force employees of these companies to work at night, on weekends, on holidays and without annual leave .
Both bills passed the first reading stage in the State Duma. They still have to go through two more readings and be considered by the Senate before President Putin signs it into law.
The outcome of this parliamentary review is irrelevant. doubt, President Putin's control over Parliament being total.
These two bills introducing special measures in the economic sphere were moreover submitted to the Duma on the initiative of the Kremlin last week.
Once in force, they will allow the Russian executive to implement a form of corporate mobilization for the benefit of the Russian military.
In an explanatory note sent to the Duma along with the bills, the Kremlin says its offensive in Ukraine has exposed supply shortages, particularly in the repair of military equipment.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov echoed that argument on Tuesday, telling the Duma that the bills are driven by the need to support the military at a time when the Russian economy is under colossal pressure from the West.
“The burden on the defense industry has increased significantly. In order to ensure the supply of weapons and ammunition, it is necessary to optimize the work of the military-industrial complex.
—Yuri Borissov, Russian Deputy Prime Minister
When the West increases its military presence on Russia's border, intensifies the pressure with sanctions, increases its deliveries weapons to Ukraine, the importance of passing these bills cannot be overstated, he added.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) effectively launched the process of integrating Sweden and Finland into its ranks on Tuesday. All 30 member countries of the Alliance, including Turkey, will now have to ratify.
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Russia's territorial gains in Ukraine are tangible, but come at the cost of heavy loss of material and lives, say Ukrainians and US intelligence and British. The failed offensive towards kyiv at the start of the war was particularly costly on both counts.
Ukrainian Defense Military Intelligence said at the weekend that factories Russian military repair companies refused Kremlin contracts because they had not been paid for previous services. This information cannot be validated.
With information from Reuters, and Institute for the Study of War
