The Kremlin regime is taking steps to prepare a new wave of mobilisation in order to recruit an additional 600,000 troops.

This is reported on the website of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing intelligence from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Intelligence Service.

According to the report, the Russian command sees this additional intake of cannon fodder as a response to the loss of the initiative in the war, a steady rise in casualties and a marked slowdown in the recruitment of contract soldiers in the regions.

“Russia is working on plans to conduct an additional wave of mobilisation in 2026–2027, expecting to recruit 300,000 people this year and 300,000 next year. Russia’s personnel losses from January to July 2026 amounted to around 240,000, of which at least 140,000 were irrecoverable. Over the same period, fewer people — 232,000 — were signed up to the Russian occupation contingent on contract,” the statement reads.

To enable mobilisation, Russia has also begun changing legislation and secondary regulations in ways that significantly tighten control over military registration, create mechanisms for the additional recruitment of criminals and introduce other coercive measures.

The categories of convicts eligible for military service now include people with unspent convictions under 11 articles of Russia’s Criminal Code, among them:

  • smuggling of toxic, radioactive and explosive substances, weapons, narcotics and the like;
  • banditry and the organisation of, or participation in, a criminal group;
  • organising illegal migration;
  • violating security requirements at fuel and energy facilities, and the illegal handling, theft or extortion of nuclear materials or radioactive substances.

In addition, mobilisation and contract recruitment have been approved for certain categories of women serving sentences in prisons and camps.

“Depending on the level of training and the expected survival time of those mobilised by Russia, their preparation may last 15 to 60 days. Training for some of those mobilised on ranges in the Republic of Belarus cannot be ruled out,” intelligence officials said.

Against this backdrop, the Russian authorities are also preparing a set of enforcement measures in response to the possible negative social and economic consequences of shifting cities and regions to a harsher wartime footing.

According to information from the regime’s internal documents, many Russian regions are recording a continuing decline in recruitment figures, and a campaign involving the overwhelming majority of Russian universities has failed.

In Volgograd region, the number of potential contract soldiers has fallen by 40% compared with 2025, while in Kurgan region monthly targets have been met by only 57–69% since the start of 2026.

The greatest problems with contract recruitment, however, are currently being recorded in Russia’s Oryol and Vladimir regions, as well as in the Republic of Dagestan.

“A system for issuing electronic mobilisation notices has already been introduced, and an expansion of coercive measures is being developed: a ban on leaving Russia, on obtaining loans and on buying or selling property, the annulment of driving licences, the freezing of funds in bank accounts and so on. Enterprises are expanding the staffing of their mobilisation and military registration departments. As of the end of July 2026, more than 2,500 new vacancies for staffing these mobilisation departments had been posted on electronic recruitment platforms,” intelligence officials state.

In their assessment, the most likely scenario is that the Russian dictator Putin will take the decision on mobilisation after the so-called State Duma elections scheduled for 18–20 September.