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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Russia in July conducted military exercises to work out mobilization procedures, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that after the State Duma elections the Kremlin plans a so-called peripheral mobilization that will continue into 2026 year. The Kremlin's goal is to mobilize 300 thousand people for 2026 year and the same amount for the 2027-th year. Moscow has not yet made a final decision, but heavy losses on the front could force Putin to take this step.
According to sources, in July in the Kaliningrad region there were drills to plan and work out procedures in case of mobilization of regional residents. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing Western intelligence sources. The drills practiced issues of deploying mobilized people, and supplying them with food and weapons.
Scheduled activities in Kaliningrad are among many being conducted across the country in case mobilization is announced, sources in intelligence told the publication. The Kremlin has not yet decided on mobilization and is unlikely to decide before the parliamentary elections at the end of September, sources claim. Nevertheless, Putin's determination to seize the entire Donbas, despite limited progress and heavy losses, may force him to take this step.
The publication notes that in recent months Moscow has not managed to recruit enough new servicemen to compensate for losses from killed and wounded on the battlefield. Meanwhile, the development of Ukrainian drones has shortened the average life expectancy of a Russian soldier at the front to a matter of minutes, days, or weeks. These personnel problems may leave Putin with no choice but to announce a new wave of mobilization that has not occurred for several years, American and European officials said.
"Their target today is 300 thousand additionally for the 2026 year, plus another 2027-th," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The president also noted on Sunday that Russia plans that this will be such peripheral mobilization.
Why the focus is on Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad, where in July drills were held to prepare for mobilization, has recently attracted heightened attention from Western intelligence. Sources warn that in the event of possible escalation with the West, Russia could attempt to seize part of the Suvalki Corridor—a strip of land stretching from Kaliningrad to Belarus through the territories of neighboring Poland and Lithuania. 1 July Putin unexpectedly held an unscheduled meeting of the Russian Security Council dedicated to Kaliningrad region, although officially the topics on the agenda were stated to be social issues.
Analysts of the publication believe that a mobilization announcement could strengthen the Russian army and speed up its advance toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk—two last major cities in Donetsk region controlled by Ukraine. However, if mobilization is carried out after the State Duma elections, before winter fighting slowdowns, its effect may not yield results this year.
"I don't think this will be a decisive factor for Russia, and this year it's already too late, but it could play a role in 2027 year," said Carnegie Endowment senior fellow Michael Kempf.
The scholar added that if the Kremlin has concrete timelines to achieve this year's goals, including the capture of the rest of Donbas, mobilization should have been carried out several months earlier.
Earlier, Informator reported that Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya stated that the Kremlin does not plan a mass mobilization at the moment, although signs of covert conscription are already being recorded online—in particular messages about travel restrictions for men of draft age and a record surge in departures through the Vardik Pass. We also wrote that head of the National Security and Defense Council's Center for Combating Disinformation Andriy Kovalenko said that Putin is preparing mobilization of 500 thousand people this fall, some of whom could be thrown into battle two weeks after conscription.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Росія проводить військові навчання, аби перевірити готовність до нової мобілізації". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Informator.
