Zelensky Says Putin Plans to Mobilise 5 Lakh Fighters After Duma Polls

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to mobilise as many as 500,000 additional fighters after Russia’s parliamentary elections in late September. Citing Ukrainian intelligence, Zelensky said the reported plan indicated that Moscow was not preparing to end the war and could instead intensify its military campaign against Ukraine.

Zelensky said the mobilisation could take place after the State Duma elections scheduled for September 21. He alleged that Putin would avoid announcing the recruitment drive openly because of concerns about public reaction within Russia. The Ukrainian president made the claims in a post on X following an interview with Sky News, though Moscow has not publicly confirmed any plan to mobilise half a million personnel.

The Ukrainian leader also questioned Russia’s ability to train such a large number of recruits within a short period. He warned that inadequately trained personnel could be deployed to the battlefield, potentially resulting in heavy casualties. Russia announced a partial mobilisation in September 2022, calling up hundreds of thousands of reservists and prompting protests and the departure of many military-age Russians.

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Separately, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that the continuing war of attrition and Ukraine’s attacks deep inside Russian territory could increase the risk of nuclear escalation. Speaking during Anadolu’s Editor’s Desk programme, Fidan suggested that a country facing what it perceives as an existential threat could consider using its most extreme military option. He described the situation as dangerous and said Türkiye had discussed the issue with Western partners.

Fidan said Russian public discussions about a possible nuclear response had also raised concerns during his visit to the country. His remarks came as Russia and Ukraine intensified long-range strikes against each other. According to the United Nations, the growing use of drones and missiles has contributed to an increase in civilian deaths, extending the human impact of the war far beyond the immediate front lines.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s central Tatarstan region reportedly killed at least 13 people on Monday, making it one of Kyiv’s deadliest attacks inside Russia since the conflict began. On the same day, Ukrainian officials said Russian artillery fire killed five people in a village in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Russia’s defence ministry claimed that its forces intercepted 456 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Ukraine’s air force said Moscow launched 126 drones in its latest aerial assault.

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