Ukraine says Russia can’t replace its losses, plans mass draft after elections—and again in 2027
The claimed call-up comes as Russian battlefield losses overtake contract recruitment, which threatens Moscow’s offensive capabilities.
On 11 August 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia is set to embark on a new mass mobilization drive following its parliamentary elections this fall. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Moscow plans to mobilize hundreds of thousands of soldiers by the end of 2026 and roughly the same number by the end of 2027.
This would be in addition to ongoing contract recruitment, a strategy Russia has relied on to avoid the political costs associated with another compulsory draft. However, the Kremlin has been struggling to recruit soldiers rapidly enough to replace those it loses in combat. Zelenskyy suggested that Ukraine's intelligence has verified Russian assessments of its losses, with Russia reportedly losing around 30,000 personnel each month, 60% of them killed.
He also claimed that Russia's forces in Ukraine are gradually shrinking. Zelenskyy stated that Putin intends to mobilize a half-million people during this fall, bolstered by up to 50,000 North Korean troops.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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