Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
According to the Ukrainian president, Putin is planning to do the mobilization quietly to avoid domestic backlash.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Putin is quietly preparing to send hundreds of thousands more troops to the front lines.
Speaking in an interview with Sky News, he explained that the Kremlin aims to call up between 300,000 and 500,000 people to sustain its war effort.
Zelenskyy later posted the same warning on his official Telegram account.
A few months away
The draft will not happen right away. Instead, officials expect the rollout to begin in late September or early October, following Russia’s State Duma elections on September 21.
The Russian president still fears public backlash. Because of that, the draft will happen quietly.
“Putin is not ready to stop this war. I’ve got the brief from intelligence. He is preparing for mobilization. He wants to do it after the elections on the 21st of September. He wants to increase mobilization in his country. Not very openly because he is afraid of his society, but he will do it in the first days of October. If we don’t bring him problems with logistics, petroleum, diesel and if our partners do not push total sanctions against his aggression,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president emphasized that society in Russia remains largely opposed to a forced draft. Even so, the Kremlin intends to move forward. The rush will leave little time for adequate training.
“He will not be able to train them quickly. Again, it means he will push on the battlefield people who are not well-trained and will not be trained. It means a lot of losses,” the president emphasized.
Disrupting the machine
To counter this upcoming wave, Ukraine is expanding its long-range strike campaign inside Russian territory. By disrupting fuel supplies, ammunition routes, and military logistics, Kyiv hopes to hamper the mobilization effort before recruits reach the front.
At the same time, Zelenskyy urged international partners to step up their pressure through stricter economic penalties. He warned that Moscow receives help from abroad, including 30,000 North Korean troops, Iranian missiles, and Chinese technology.
While Russian business leaders recognize the growing strain on their national economy, defence contractors profiting from the war continue to push back against any potential peace talks.
