In his evening address on August 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian authorities are preparing for a new wave of mobilization in the fall, citing a report by Oleh Ivashchenko, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry. According to Zelensky, these plans are confirmed by "internal Russian documents."
Zelensky said the mobilization would take place immediately after the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18-20. "Putin's plan is not particularly complicated: he wants to portray that Russians supposedly support the war — all the parties that are currently allowed are, one way or another, against peace. And then, after the so-called elections, he plans an additional rapid mobilization of several hundred thousand Russians by the end of the year, plus the same number again for the next year," the Ukrainian president said.
According to him, monthly losses of the Russian contingent in Ukraine amount to at least 30,000 people, 60% of them killed. Zelensky believes the Kremlin is counting on mobilization and the involvement of North Korean troops to "drag out the war."
Earlier, Russian outlets Verstka and Important Stories reported on possible fall mobilization, citing sources close to the presidential administration. According to them, the Kremlin has not yet made a final decision, but preparatory measures are already underway. In July, Zelensky also said Putin could announce mobilization after the elections, citing a figure of 300,000 to 500,000 people.
Official Russian authorities deny plans for a new mobilization. State Duma deputies regularly claim that rumors about it are spread by "enemies." At the same time, the Financial Times, citing a source close to the Russian Defense Ministry, wrote that forced conscription could lead to mass desertion and a "very negative political effect" inside the country. The so-called partial mobilization was announced in Russia in September 2022 and has not been formally lifted to this day.