Will Russia start a fresh mobilization drive?
Russia is preparing a new mobilization campaign to boost troop numbers, Ukrainian officials and independent Russian media outlets report. The Kremlin denies this.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns Russia is planning a fresh mobilization drive in autumn, citing intelligence services. Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly preparing to recruit additional soldiers to fight in Ukraine, though he is concealing his intentions behind different signals, according to Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy urges international pressure to halt further Russian mobilization and seek peace. Russian authorities launched a partial mobilization in autumn 2022, which has remained in effect. Independent Russian exile media outlet Verstka and Latvia-based news portal Vaschnyje Istorii reported that Russia is secretly discussing mobilization due to difficulties in recruiting new conscripts.
Recruitment rates have dropped significantly for soldiers on fixed-term contracts and newly enlisted recruits are deemed unfit for combat. The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported the Kremlin is laying the groundwork for a fresh mobilization drive, contingent on Putin's personal perception of the battlefield situation.
Russian officials, including Dmitry Medvedev and the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, dismissed rumors of a new mobilization as unnecessary or pre-election propaganda. Military expert Yan Matveyev stated that even if Russia doubled its army size, it would not be able to defeat Ukraine, suggesting losses on the front lines will continue to grow unless a fresh mobilization is launched.
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