Kremlin not planning new mass call-up despite troop shortages — Guardian

The Kremlin has no plans to initiate a new wave of mobilization, despite the escalating battlefield losses and military manpower shortages, according to sources cited by The Guardian. There are no indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered another large-scale call-up, according to The Guardian's sources and a Western official.

Instead, the Kremlin appears to be relying on recruiting volunteers to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry to avoid the political risks associated with another compulsory mobilization. Russian human rights activist Alexei Tabalov told The Guardian that finding willing fighters has become increasingly difficult, even for high monetary incentives.

A Russian recruitment agency employee reported similar challenges, stating that recruiting 20 to 30 men each month is becoming harder. The recruitment agency employee mentioned that while discussing the possibility of another mobilization internally, there have been no official instructions or indications of an imminent call-up.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously stated that Russia was preparing an autumn mobilization campaign after simulated parliamentary elections, citing intelligence from Ukraine's Defense Intelligence. Zelenskyy also suggested that Putin was seeking ways to conduct a covert mobilization without formally announcing it.

The Kremlin's involvement with North Korea in its war against Ukraine continues, according to The Financial Times. Police raids at workplaces, taking men from the streets, and targeting debtors, students, and women with military specialties have been employed to secure new contracts, as reported by The Guardian.