“There was a report from Defense Intelligence [HUR] head Oleh Ivashchenko, about preparations for a Russian mobilization,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address.
“Everything is confirmed by internal Russian documents: they are preparing it for the fall, immediately after the sham parliamentary vote.”
He said Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s plan is straightforward: to create an impression that Russians broadly support the war. Zelenskyy noted that the parties currently allowed to contest the vote are, in one way or another, opposed to peace.
Zelenskyy said Moscow plans a rapid, additional mobilization of several hundred thousand Russians by the end of the year, with a similar number to follow next year, on top of existing contract recruitment programs.
“Putin believes that additional mobilization and bringing in
North Korean forces will allow him to prolong the war and bolster Russian
offensives,” Zelenskyy said.