Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to mobilize hundreds of thousands of soldiers for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This move comes as the Kremlin faces a high casualty count and decreasing public support for the war in eastern Europe.
Zelensky revealed to British broadcaster Sky News that between 300,000 and 500,000 individuals will be called up for Russia’s military efforts starting in October. This large-scale mobilization reflects the burden that four and a half years of war have placed on Russia and risks increasing public dissent among Russians who are progressively feeling the effects of the conflict.
In the fall of 2022, when Putin called up 300,000 reservists, protests erupted across Russia. Many people fled the country to avoid military service. Public opinion is shifting, with only one in four people supporting the continuation of the war in Ukraine, according to a poll published in May by the Levada Center, an independent Russian pollster.
Zelensky asserted that it would not be overly challenging for Putin to mobilize up to half a million troops. Ukrainian officials have consistently predicted that Russia might resort to another mobilization wave soon, suggesting that Moscow is failing to meet its recruitment objectives while experiencing over 1,000 military casualties daily, as recent estimates indicate.
Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service has reported that Russia missed its army recruitment target by around 30,000 people in the first three months of 2026. This shortfall is prompting Russian authorities to increase sign-on bonuses for new recruits.
The expected mobilization coincides with upcoming elections in Russia for numerous politicians to join the country’s Duma, the lower parliamentary house. These elections will be the first since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
This situation is evolving, and additional updates are forthcoming.
Leave a Reply