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Seeing the reports today that votes in Donbass and other regions about whether to join the Russian Federation are set to be held over the next week, my initial assumption is that this is meant to provide the legal and political basis (or appearance) for Russia to bring in the conscripts, since the fighting would now be on and for “Russian territory.”

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+300,000 active reservists mobilized starting today. I think your intuition is very valid still, the new troops will be in training for now, and they will get officially thrown into the fray once the annexations are formally declared.

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A harrowing situation. As another commentator mentioned, by allowing the Independence votes he may be able to alter the war. Perhaps changing goals and simply seeking to defend "Russian" territory.

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