Putin Not Ready to Announce New Mobilization Yet, The Guardian

The Russian leadership continues to strive for the realization of its declared military objectives in Ukraine, but despite the shortage of human resources and the increase in losses at the front, there are currently no signs of preparing for a new mass mobilization. This is reported by The Guardian, citing its sources.

According to two sources familiar with discussions on this issue in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin is not yet planning to announce a new mobilization. A similar assessment has also been provided by senior anonymous officials from Western countries.

Sources indicate that Russian authorities currently prefer to increase the number of volunteers signing contracts with the Defense Ministry, avoiding the political risks associated with compulsory mobilization. At the same time, the recruitment process for servicemen is becoming increasingly complicated. One of The Guardian’s interlocutors stated that whereas finding the necessary number of contract soldiers was easier last year, it has now become more difficult.

Earlier, the Financial Times reported that the Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defense had demanded that regional authorities fulfill the 2026 recruitment plan for contract servicemen, which aims to enlist 409,000 people into the army.

Reports indicate that pressure on Russian regions has intensified in recent months, which is linked to Moscow's desire to avoid new mobilization. Concurrently, there have been reports of an increase in cases of forcibly signing military contracts with men from socially vulnerable groups in several regions of the country. Such cases have been reported, in particular, from the Penza, Omsk, and Ulyanovsk regions.