Zelensky: Russia Plans Mobilization After State Duma Elections

Russia may launch a new wave of mobilization after the parliamentary elections to the State Duma, scheduled for September 18–20.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this following a meeting with Oleh Ivashchenko, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.

According to Zelensky, Moscow plans to use the elections to create the appearance that Russian society supposedly supports continuing the war.

He noted that all parties allowed to participate in the elections are, in one way or another, opposed to peace.

After the elections, Russia plans to begin mobilization. According to the Kremlin’s plan, several hundred thousand Russians are to be conscripted by the end of this year, with another several hundred thousand by the end of next year.

Meanwhile, the Russian authorities will seek to meet their target for recruiting contract soldiers.

Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is preparing for active measures aimed at making it as difficult as possible for Russia to carry out these plans.

As early as June, reports emerged about the possibility of Russia launching another large-scale mobilization wave in the fall. The reasons cited included the protracted nature of the fighting and the lack of significant gains by the Russian army on the front lines in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, State Duma lawmaker Andrey Gurulyov said that another round of mobilization was unlikely to allow Russian forces to turn the tide on the battlefield. In his view, this is hindered by the technological advantage of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the field of drones.

Gurulyov emphasized that Ukrainian drones “tear apart infantry” on the approaches to positions, prevent assault groups from active responses, and have “literally overwhelmed” both the front line and the immediate rear.

According to the Russian lawmaker’s forecast, without addressing the problem of Ukrainian UAVs, bringing in new mobilized troops will not help the Russian army and will only lead to an increase in the number of military personnel killed.

The last so-called ‘partial’ mobilization in Russia was announced on September 21, 2022.