'Mass mobilization not planned,' Russian UN envoy claims, stops short of ruling it out following elections
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya claimed on Aug. 20 that mass mobilization of Russian soldiers is not currently planned, while stopping short of ruling out its possibility following next month's Russian parliamentary election.
On August 20, Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya stated that mass mobilization of Russian soldiers is not currently planned, though he did not rule out its possibility following Russia's parliamentary election in the coming month. This claim comes in response to recent warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who suggested that Moscow could mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops after the September elections.
Nebenzya emphasized that there is no current need for mass mobilization, stating that it is not planned or expected at this time. Zelensky had previously asserted that Ukraine had evidence of Moscow's intentions for a full mobilization following Russia's parliamentary elections, alleging that President Putin's plan involved a rapid mobilization of several hundred thousand Russians by the end of the year, along with an additional equal number for the following year.
Zelensky claimed these plans were confirmed by internal Russian documents during a meeting with intelligence chiefs. The Russian government has a history of denying mobilization plans only to later announce call-ups. In 2022, the Kremlin repeatedly dismissed mobilization plans until September 21, when officials announced a partial draft of 300,000 reservists.
Zelensky also reported in July that Moscow was preparing to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean troops to aid in the war against Ukraine.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
