Safer for Russians to protest mobilization to get behind bars than to die in Ukraine, Zelensky believes

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is convinced that Russia will succeed in mobilizing the targeted 300,000 people, while emphasizing that it is safer for Russians to take to the streets to protest conscription and be thrown behind bars than to go to war in Ukraine and die there.

The president shared his opinion in an interview with French mass media, Ukrinform reports.

"I think he (Putin - ed.) will succeed in sending in another 300,000, as far as we know... this was confirmed by our partners and our intelligence, all these 300,000 files had already prepared even before the moment when he (Putin - ed.) declared partial mobilization. They had all these papers ready on the table, the only question was when he (Putin - ed.) would send the signal," the president noted.

Zelensky said it was a big mistake for the Russians to fear that they would be arrested if they went out to protest.

"They are afraid of being thrown behind bars because they do not understand where they will end up when they cross in. Once they come to our land, they will have to shoot at us, and we will also have to shoot at them. Here (in Ukraine - ed.) they will either die, or surrender and be captured. They don't even understand the difference: if they go out now, it's safer, it's necessary, that's what democracy is, even if it's taken away from you in such a big country, but it's impossible to stop everyone, because that's 150 million people," Zelensky emphasized.

The president expressed the opinion that the Russians do not comprehend the risks "because they have not yet seen the bodies of their fellow citizens en masse."

As reported, on September 21, Russian President Putin said in a special video address to the nation that he had signed a decree on partial mobilization effective immediately. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that 300,000 reservists would be called up for military service. Later, information appeared in the media that the classified paragraph 7 of Putin's decree specified a different number of those to be drafted: up to 1.2 million.