Russia is preparing to announce a large-scale mobilization due to heavy losses suffered on the frontlines, warns the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Mobilization will be held in Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine. Various estimates suggest mobilizing between 400,000 to 700,000 people, according to the General Staff.
In particular, the Kremlin plans to mobilize around 40,000 residents of the Chechen Republic to use them as reatreat-blocking units for preventing Russian soldiers from fleeing the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s intelligence doubts about the possibility of a large-scale mobilization in Russia. Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Vadym Skibitskyi, noted that the Kremlin may stick to further covert mobilization.
“Right now, they will conduct these [regional] elections, then start preparations for the presidential elections on 17 March 2024. No one wants to take risks on the eve of the campaign by announcing mobilization. Perhaps this will happen later,” Skibitsky said.
The Kremlin has already expanded the pool of eligible conscripts by raising the maximum conscription age. In addition, the State Duma has sharply increased penalties for failing to report to the military enlistment office.
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