President Vladimir Putin is said to be lining up a second wave of conscriptions to add up to 500,000 fighters to his forces in Ukraine.
While the Kremlin has so far failed to confirm it has plans to enlist more conscripts, there are signs officials are gearing up to train more men for the battlefield.
There were several reports that authorities last week discreetly closed a loophole that allowed men of fighting age to avoid conscription if they had three or more children.
Nina Ostanina, deputy of State Duma, cited the deputy of Russia’s Human Rights Council when she said fathers-of-three were no longer exempt from mobilisation.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the rule had been scrapped, saying he was “not aware” of any change.
Thousands of Russians fled the country in September after Mr Putin announced the mobilisation of 300,000 reservists.
As the war in Ukraine drags on with no peace deal in sight, Kyiv has for weeks been warning of Moscow’s plans to enlist up to 500,000 more troops to replenish its ranks.
The Telegraph cited reports from various Russian regions that suggested military commissars had been ordered to create lists of men of fighting age, and factory managers had been asked which workers they could spare for the army.
'Moscow will struggle to expand military'
UK intelligence suggested Russia would “struggle to staff and equip” its army to meet expansion goals recently announced by Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu.
In a statement released on Sunday, the UK’s Ministry of Defence touched on Mr Shoigu’s vision to create major structural changes to the Russian military.
The plan announced last Tuesday includes an increase of 1.5 million personnel in the army — up by 11 per cent on top of the previously announced expansion of 1.35 million.
“Shoigu also announced the re-establishment of Moscow and Leningrad military districts, a partial return to the Soviet era organisation of forces in Western Russia,” the MoD said. “A new army corps is to be established in Karelia, near the Finnish border.
“Shoigu’s plans signal that the Russian leadership highly likely assesses that an enhanced conventional military threat will endure for many years beyond the current Ukraine war.
“However, Russia will highly likely struggle to staff and equip the planned expansion.”
Meanwhile, the debate on whether German-made Leopard 2 tanks should be donated to Ukraine continues after a Friday meeting between decision makers failed to reach a breakthrough.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Sunday said he would like “nothing more” than to see Germany equip Ukrainian fighters with the state-of-the art tanks. But he stopped short of criticising Berlin, instead praising it for the support it has offered to Kyiv so far.
His comments came as Boris Johnson undertook his first visit to Ukraine since stepping down as UK prime minister in September. After being greeted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv he pledged to “do whatever I can” to help the country win the war against Russia's invading forces.
Tamila Tasheva, a Ukrainian politician serving as the permanent representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea, said more weapons from the West were needed to help her country win the war.
She told Sky News that nine years after the territory was annexed by Russia it could still be liberated by Ukrainian fighters.
She said while the first step is to return the Black Sea peninsula to Ukrainian control, “we must be ready to reintegrate our territory after our victory”.
Some analysts have suggested Ukraine could give up its claims to previously-held territories such as Crimea in a bid to strike a peace deal with Russia.
Deputy minister sacked over bribery allegations
The Ukrainian Cabinet dismissed Vasyl Lozynskiy over allegations of accepting a bribe, it was revealed on Sunday.
Mr Lozynskiy, who was the deputy minister of infrastructure and communities development, is alleged to have been given $400,000 for rigging a large procurement tender for generators and other equipment, according to the Kyiv Independent, citing police.
His sacking followed questioning by the country's National Anti-Corruption Bureau on suspicion of embezzlement, the Infrastructure Ministry said.
The bureau said the politician, who had held office since May 2020, had “received [$400,000] to facilitate the conclusion of contracts for the purchase of equipment and generators at inflated prices”.
Ukraine is facing electricity shortages after Russian bombarded its energy infrastructure.
Russian invasion of Ukraine - in pictures
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The biog
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
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Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 4 (Mount 18',Werner 44', Hudson-Odoi 49', Havertz 85')
Morecambe 0
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
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Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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