Ukraine's UN envoy warns Russian public of potential mobilization

Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Andrii Melnyk, cautioned the Russian public about the possibility of a forceful mobilization that could commence after September 20 during a UN Security Council meeting on August 24. Melnyk stated, "Putin did not simply launch a war against Ukraine. He unleashed the four horsemen of the Apocalypse like in the Book of Revelation: conquest, war, famine, and death.

They are going to swallow not only the one who unleashed them, but the very system that they built... They may leave the final seal upon the fate of Russia itself." The Ukrainian envoy also addressed the Russian populace in their native tongue, warning that Vladimir Putin is likely preparing a new round of forced conscription following the State Duma elections on September 20.

He added that Russia intends to dispatch up to 500,000 individuals on a one-way journey to the conflict zone in Ukraine. Melnyk implored Russians to depart the country as soon as possible, joking about the potential difficulty in procuring fuel for their escape due to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on August 23 that Russia might initiate another wave of mobilization after the state Duma "elections," with plans to conscript an additional 300,000 people in 2026.

Zelenskyy had previously mentioned on August 8 that Putin was searching for methods to conduct covert mobilization in Russia without formally announcing another call-up. Zelenskyy reported on August 11 that Russia was preparing an autumn mobilization campaign that could start after parliamentary elections, based on information from Ukraine's Defense Intelligence.