The Guardian: Panic Has Gripped Russians
- 15.08.2026, 13:46
The Kremlin is expected to make an unpopular decision.
In Russia, they are trying to avoid a second wave of mass mobilization, despite significant losses on the front lines and a slowdown in the recruitment of volunteers. The Kremlin is turning to forced conscription of debtors, students, and prisoners.
According to The Guardian, discussions are increasingly taking place in kitchens and chat rooms across Russia about whether Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will announce another mobilization.
Mobilization Amid Significant Losses
Nearly five years after its full-scale invasion, Russia is facing an increasingly serious manpower shortage. Vladimir Putin is not ready to give up his far-reaching territorial claims, even though the summer offensive has stalled and the occupiers continue to suffer losses.
“The problem for the Kremlin is that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find people willing to fight, even for exorbitant sums of money,” suggests human rights activist and director of an organization that assists Russian conscripts, Alexei Tabalov.
The publication noted that the dictator last resorted to mobilizing Russians in September 2022. At that time, following a series of setbacks for the Russian army on the front lines, the Kremlin ordered the conscription of 300,000 reservists to stabilize the situation on the battlefield.
Since then, Moscow has avoided another mobilization and has relied heavily on high-paying volunteer contracts. Russia has recruited about 1.3 million contract soldiers since then.
Men, especially in the poorer regions of the aggressor country, were offered bonuses for signing a contract and payments equivalent to several years’ worth of local wages. In the event of an occupier’s death, his family was promised substantial payments.
However, the Russian army’s losses are forcing the Kremlin to continue recruiting at a rapid pace.
According to estimates by Western experts, Russia loses more than 30,000 soldiers each month to casualties and injuries. This is attributed to the Russian army’s grueling tactics, which involve sending small assault groups to the front lines.
At the same time, according to an estimate by Janis Klug, an expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs , Moscow is currently recruiting approximately 1,000 soldiers per day. Consequently, the new recruits are most likely being used to replenish depleted units rather than to increase the occupying army’s offensive capabilities.
Will there be a mobilization in Russia?
Against the backdrop of these problems, the likelihood of a mobilization in Russia has risen again, the publication believes. At the same time, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called such reports “nonsense” and a “deceptive provocation” on the part of Ukraine.
Fears of a new wave of conscription are increasingly being discussed by Russians in their daily lives.
The publication’s sources, familiar with the Kremlin’s position, believe that Russian authorities are apparently trying to get more men to sign contracts rather than wait for a new mobilization.
In addition, throughout the summer, lawyers and activists have documented an increasing number of cases of forced recruitment in various regions of Russia.
“This has turned into a manhunt,” Tabalov said.
Russia is also expanding its search for potential military personnel to other sectors. For example, universities, technical colleges, and vocational schools have been asked to recruit students for newly created drone units.
In addition, Putin signed a law expanding the pool of convicts eligible to sign contracts with the Russian military. This now applies, in particular, to individuals convicted of serious and especially serious crimes.
The Kremlin has placed a significant portion of the responsibility for military recruitment on Russia’s regions. Local authorities must meet the recruitment targets set by Moscow.