No Plans for New Military Mobilization in Russia, Says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Moscow has no current need or plans to deploy additional troops for its military campaign in Ukraine, dismissing discussions surrounding a new military mobilization as Ukrainian propaganda.

Speaking at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday, Putin maintained that no situation exists that would necessitate a fresh military draft. He claimed that such reports are being circulated ahead of Russia's parliamentary elections later this month to influence the electoral outcome, adding that citizens are voluntarily joining the armed forces through contracts.

Kyiv did not immediately respond to Putin’s remarks. Previously, in July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow was preparing a new wave of military mobilization for the autumn following heavy casualties on the front lines.

Following military setbacks in Ukraine in 2022, Putin had ordered a "partial mobilization" of reserve forces. According to Kremlin figures, that directive encompassed 300,000 individuals—a deeply unpopular decision at the time that prompted many military-aged Russian men to flee the country.