Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to summon a significant number of new soldiers for the conflict in Ukraine. This information was shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Kremlin is attempting to manage the high casualty rates alongside growing public disapproval of the ongoing war in eastern Europe.

Zelensky, in a discussion with Sky News, mentioned that Putin plans to call up between 300,000 and 500,000 individuals to join Russia’s military around the beginning of October. Such a mobilization would highlight the pressure the prolonged conflict, now exceeding four years, has imposed on Russia, potentially increasing dissatisfaction among Russian citizens.

The previous mobilization of 300,000 reservists in the fall of 2022 led to widespread protests across Russia. Many citizens left the country to evade military service. According to a poll conducted by the independent Russian pollster, the Levada Center, only 25% of the population supported the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine as of May.

Zelensky noted that mobilizing half a million troops would not be a major challenge for Putin. Ukrainian officials have been suggesting for months that Russia might embark on a new wave of mobilization. These suggestions arise from reports that Russia is not meeting its recruitment goals while experiencing an average of over 1,000 casualties daily.

Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service reported that Russia fell short of its recruitment target by approximately 30,000 troops in the first quarter of 2026. This shortfall has led Russian authorities to increase sign-on incentives for enlistees.

The expected mobilization could occur soon after parliamentary elections in Russia. These elections will determine the politicians who will occupy seats in the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament. Significantly, this will be the first parliamentary election since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

As the situation unfolds, further updates are anticipated.