During a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine accused Russia of preparing to deploy an additional 300,000 troops to the front lines in his country by early June.
While Zelensky expressed uncertainty about Ukraine’s own troop mobilization plans for the year, he revised previous targets, stating, “we don’t need half a million.”
Highlighting the need for action in May and June to advance Ukraine’s objectives in the conflict, Zelensky emphasized the importance of understanding Russia’s motivations for increasing troop numbers.
“We clearly understand what Russia is preparing for, what they want, and what they will be drafting soldiers into their army for. Russia is preparing to mobilize 300,000 additional soldiers by June 1,” he asserted.
Zelensky stressed the necessity for a robust response to Russian operations, underlining the collective effort required to prevail in the ongoing conflict.
This announcement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s activation of a routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for military service.
Additionally, Ukraine’s military intelligence recently suggested that Russia aims to intensify its mobilization efforts following Putin’s landslide victory in the country’s presidential election, where he secured over 87 percent of the vote.
The Kremlin has faced criticism from Russian citizens in the past over its military recruitment drives aimed at reinforcing defenses against Ukraine.