Opposition representatives in five Russian regional councils are calling on President Vladimir Putin to issue a decree ending the partial military mobilization he announced in September to bolster Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reports.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the end of the draft of 300,000 reservists on October 31, after weeks of chaos that saw hundreds of thousands of Russians leave the country and numerous reports of unfit people being drafted. At the time, the Kremlin said that an official decree was not needed to cancel the mobilization.

Emilia Slabunova, an opposition councilor in Karelia, northern Russia, said the absence of such a decree meant those already drafted could not leave the armed forces.

The commanders refused to release them, and appeals against these refusals in court are fruitless, Slabunova said. The courts ruled in favor of the commanders, citing that Putin’s September mobilization order was still legally binding.

Confirmed cases

Military lawyers confirmed to Reuters that this happened in at least two cases – one near Moscow and one in Chita, Siberia.

“We, as deputies, represent our voters and these appeals from our side are the result of numerous appeals from citizens,” Slabunova said.

Reuters saw similar calls from opposition lawmakers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov and Novgorod regions. All of them are members of the opposition liberal party Yabloko.

The Kremlin “already clarified” the situation

Asked whether the Kremlin knew about the regional advisers’ initiative, press secretary Dmytro Peskov said on Tuesday that he had “already clarified everything” on the issue of mobilization, so he had nothing new to say about it.

It is a rare and risky move for elected officials to publicly challenge the Kremlin on the conduct of the war in Ukraine. After the February 24 invasion, Russia introduced laws that set long prison terms for “discrediting” the armed forces or spreading “fake news” about them.

The lack of a decree “creates legal uncertainty”

The advisers say that the absence of a decree on the termination of mobilization “creates legal uncertainty”, allows “continuation of the conscription of citizens to the army” and “gives the military commanders the opportunity to deny citizens exemption from military service.”

“I know of cases when our military commissars have already issued summonses for January and February,” said Borys Vishnevskyi, adviser to the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, who also signed the appeal to the President of Russia.

Wyshnevsky said this is because the “legal vacuum” created by the lack of a decree “opens up opportunities for legal chaos.”

The opposition says it is not afraid of Putin

Reuters was unable to confirm the cases Vishnevsky was referring to.

Vishnevsky noted that he and his colleagues from other regions are not afraid of repression.

“We are the only political force in the country that openly opposes Putin. We are trying to do something, so there is still hope,” Vishnevsky added.

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