Russia could mobilize another 300,000 troops later this year as Moscow attempts to intensify its offensive in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy has warned. In remarks released on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv expected a fresh mobilisation following Russia's parliamentary elections and claimed President Vladimir Putin could use the additional manpower in the campaign to capture the remaining Ukrainian-held areas of Donetsk. Zelenskyy said he expected Russia to end the year controlling roughly the same amount of Ukrainian territory it held at the beginning of 2026, despite what he described as heavy Russian personnel losses. He claimed Russia had lost 267,000 personnel since the start of the year, including around 155,000 killed, although the figures cannot be independently verified. The warning comes amid continued Russian pressure along the eastern front, where Ukrainian forces retain control of roughly 20% of Donetsk. The area includes strategically important cities such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, which remain central to Ukraine's defensive position in the region.
Zelenskyy Predicts Fresh Russian Mobilization
Zelenskyy said the mobilisation could follow Russia's parliamentary elections next month. He suggested Moscow would avoid carrying out the recruitment drive openly in major cities, potentially relying instead on what he described as mobilisation from peripheral areas.
“We are confident that following the elections, they will carry out a mobilization. We believe this will not take place in the major cities,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the Ukrainian president, Putin has instructed his generals to complete the occupation of Donetsk by the end of the year. Zelenskyy said he expected the proposed 300,000 troops to be deployed according to developments in eastern Ukraine.
“They’ll lose all 300,000 of these newly mobilized Russians there; we’ll wipe them out,” Zelenskyy said. Russia has not confirmed plans for another mobilisation on the scale suggested by Kyiv. Moscow previously announced a major mobilisation in 2022, which triggered protests and an exodus of Russian men, while the Kremlin has since relied heavily on contract recruitment to replenish its forces.
Donetsk Remains Key Russian Objective
Zelenskyy said he did not believe Russian forces could complete the capture of Donetsk region by the end of the year. Ukrainian forces continue to defend positions around the remaining Ukrainian-held parts of the region, despite sustained Russian attacks.
Air defence is another major concern. Zelenskyy said Ukraine received 675 Patriot missiles in 2023 but expected only 264 this year, as Russian ballistic missile attacks continue to target Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Ukraine Seeks More Air Defence
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would be prepared to pay for up to 10% of the US Patriot missile stockpile if Washington agreed to supply the systems. He argued that such an arrangement could help reduce civilian casualties while also strengthening Ukraine's position in negotiations.
Ukraine is facing similar constraints with Europe's Aster air-defence missiles, Zelenskyy said. Although France has pledged support, he said there were insufficient Aster missiles available and that licensing agreements could help accelerate production.
At the same time, Kyiv is expanding its own long-range strike capabilities. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is using long-range drones and cruise missiles against an increasingly broad range of targets inside Russia while also attempting to identify sites from which Russian ballistic missiles are launched.
He said Russian military industry could produce about 1,300 ballistic missiles annually, although that assessment could not be independently verified. Ukraine has also sought access to Starlink satellite imagery of Russian territory, but Zelenskyy said Elon Musk had warned that providing such imagery could lead to a major escalation.
