Russia Denies Need for Further Mobilization in Ukraine Conflict

Kathmandu. Russia has stated that it does not need to mobilize more people for the Ukraine invasion at present. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called the speculation of another military recruitment a Ukrainian 'rumor'. President Putin has ordered the 'partial mobilization' of reserve forces after military failures in Ukraine in 2022. The Kremlin had stated that the order would apply to only three lakh people out of a population of about 14 crore. It was extremely unpopular and led to a large exodus of men of recruitment age. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied plans for another recruitment. "There is no such scenario today that would necessitate mobilization," Putin said during the plenary session of the 'Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) conference' held in Vladivostok. "This is a false propaganda campaign by the enemy on the eve of the 'Duma' elections, which aims to influence the results," he said, referring to the Russian parliamentary elections to be held later this month. "Our people volunteer and sign contracts," he said. Kyiv has not yet responded to Putin's remarks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said in July, "Moscow is preparing for a 'new mobilization series in the fall' after suffering heavy losses ahead." Russia's progress on the battlefield this year has been significantly slow as Ukraine's extensive use of drones has made rapid and large-scale troop movements difficult. The American think tank group 'Institute for the Study of War' had said in July, citing a recently passed law that allows the army to recruit more types of prisoners during wartime, "Moscow appears to be preparing the 'conditions' for another military mobilization." "Mobilization is 'an extremely personal decision for Putin and ultimately depends on the situation on the battlefield and Putin's personal perception of the stability of the Kremlin'," the legal provision states. Both sides have suffered heavy military casualties in the conflict.