Russia likely to mobilize at least 300,000 more troops to Ukraine war, Zelensky warns
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Zelensky: Russia Likely to Mobilize at Least 300,000 Troops
Activelifezero.com – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Sunday that Russia is likely to mobilize at least 300,000 additional soldiers later this year, aiming to finish seizing a long-sought swath of eastern Ukraine before the calendar turns. In sweeping remarks released publicly, Zelensky projected that Moscow would exit the year holding roughly the same footprint of Ukrainian land it occupied at the start of the year, even after absorbing staggering manpower losses. “Russia has lost 267,000 personnel since the start of the year, including around 155,000 killed to date,” he stated.
What Zelensky Said About the Coming Mobilization
The casualty figures cannot be independently verified but align with estimates circulating among Western defense officials. With Russian parliamentary elections scheduled for next month, speculation has grown about a fresh draft call, even though the 2022 mobilization sparked street protests and a wave of young men fleeing the country. Zelensky expressed confidence that Moscow would act after the vote: “We are confident that following the elections, they will carry out a mobilization. We believe this will not take place in the major cities.”
“They’ll lose all 300,000 of these newly mobilized Russians there; we’ll wipe them out,” Zelensky asserted, adding that he had instructed his generals to complete the occupation of Donetsk by year’s end.
Ukrainian forces currently hold roughly 20 percent of Donetsk Oblast, including a corridor of strategic industrial towns such as Slaviansk and Kramatorsk. Zelensky dismissed the prospect of a full Russian takeover of the oblast and hinted that Moscow might also probe into the northern regions of Kharkiv and Sumy. “They do not yet have troops in the Bryansk region, which borders northern Ukraine, but we can see military equipment along the borders with the Russian Federation,” he noted.
Air-Defense Shortfalls and Diplomatic Push
On air defenses, Zelensky highlighted a sharp drop in Patriot interceptor deliveries: 675 missiles arrived in 2023 versus a forecast of just 264 this year. Because ballistic-missile strikes have driven civilian casualties and infrastructure damage across Ukraine, and Patriots remain the only system capable of intercepting them, the shortfall is acute. “As you can see, there is, unfortunately, a downward trend, and this depends primarily on the American side,” he said. Last month, US President Donald Trump floated letting Ukraine build Patriots under license but subsequently walked back the idea. Zelensky countered that if Washington would supply up to 10 percent of its Patriot stock, Kyiv would pay for them, calling such a commitment capable of making “a huge difference, both in terms of saving lives and diplomatically as well.”
A parallel squeeze exists on Aster air-defense missiles from Europe, despite a recent pledge by French President Emmanuel Macron. “There aren’t enough ‘Aster’ missiles, even though they are being produced,” Zelensky acknowledged, though he added a licensing arrangement would speed up deliveries. Meanwhile, Ukraine is hunting the launch sites inside Russia from which ballistic missiles are fired. Zelensky estimated that Russian military-industrial capacity could produce around 1,300 ballistic missiles annually, and said Kyiv has built up an arsenal of long-range drones and home-grown cruise missiles now aimed at a widening set of targets deep inside Russia. He also described ongoing efforts to secure permission to use Starlink satellite imagery over Russian territory, noting that Elon Musk, who owns the network, told him he “believed that this could lead to a major escalation” and preferred ending the war rather than prolonging it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Zelensky expect Russia to mobilize?
He expects the mobilization to follow the Russian parliamentary elections scheduled for next month, with the newly drafted troops deployed to the eastern front depending on battlefield conditions.
How many troops does Zelensky say Russia will mobilize?
Zelensky put the figure at at least 300,000 additional soldiers, warning that Russia is likely to mobilize at least that number to sustain its push toward full control of Donetsk Oblast.
What is Ukraine’s position on ending the war?
Zelensky said the diplomatic window stretches through the end of next summer, before the US presidential campaign intensifies. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been working with Kyiv to distill “realistic options for ending the war” onto a single page for discussion with both sides, without requiring Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas or accept terms it deems unacceptable.
