Amid an acute shortage of new recruits, the Kremlin may resort to more drastic measures.
“The reason is that things are not going entirely according to plan, and those involved in the process have begun looking for unconventional solutions,” one source told the publication. According to the source, a final decision on a potential mobilization in October has not yet been made.
Another source close to the Kremlin said there are “various road maps for replenishing the army,” with mobilization remaining one of the possible scenarios. That source also said October is being considered as a potential timeframe.
A source involved in recruitment efforts at a Russian state-owned corporation said preparatory measures have been underway for several months. The source added that Russian authorities would likely avoid explicitly referring to any such campaign as “mobilization.”
A source close to a Western intelligence service described mobilization in Russia as one of the more likely hardline options under consideration.
“Harsh measures are being examined, including mobilization and placing the economy on a wartime footing. The military is reportedly assuring him [Putin] that full control over four Ukrainian regions can be achieved if sufficient manpower is available,” the intelligence-linked source said.
Another source, who works on media strategy within the Kremlin administration, pointed to what he described as a less drastic option. According to the source, officials are discussing the rotation of reservists currently assigned to rear-area support roles and transferring them to active combat units.
On June 19, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Russian opposition media outlets, including Mediazona, reported that police officers and military recruitment officials in the city of Penza and the surrounding Penza region had conducted large-scale raids targeting men.
Local residents told the outlets that men were being detained on the streets and pressured into signing contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry for deployment to the war in Ukraine.