"He will send poorly trained and largely unprepared troops to the battlefield. That means heavy losses. But it is his choice whether to do it or not," Zelenskyy said
Author
Front News Georgia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said Russia is preparing to mobilise between 300,000 and 500,000 additional troops to sustain its war in Ukraine, citing intelligence reports and urging Kyiv's allies to increase pressure on Moscow through tougher sanctions.
Speaking about Ukrainian intelligence assessments, Zelenskyy said Russia was expected to launch a new wave of mobilisation after elections to the State Duma, likely in late September or early October.
He claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin remained reluctant to announce an open mobilisation but was nevertheless planning to recruit between 300,000 and 500,000 additional servicemembers.
He called on Ukraine's international partners to significantly increase pressure on Russia before it was "too late", saying stronger sanctions should be a priority.
He also said Ukraine's armed forces would continue their long-range strike campaign to weaken Russia's military capabilities, adding that disrupting Russian logistics, weapons supplies and fuel infrastructure would create further obstacles to any new mobilisation effort.
"He will send poorly trained and largely unprepared troops to the battlefield. That means heavy losses. But it is his choice whether to do it or not," Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president also claimed that North Korea was preparing to send an additional 30,000 troops to Russia, that Iran would supply more ballistic and other missiles, and that China was cooperating with Russia in the field of technology.
Zelenskyy further said that members of Putin's inner circle, particularly influential business figures, were aware of Russia's growing economic difficulties, but that the country's defence industry remained opposed to peace.
Tags:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
