In a wide‑ranging statement released Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia is likely to mobilize an additional 300,000 soldiers later this year as it seeks to finish its push for a key eastern region. Zelensky said the Russian forces would finish the year occupying roughly the same amount of Ukrainian territory they held at the start of the year, despite what he described as massive manpower losses.
According to Zelensky, Russia has lost 267,000 personnel since the beginning of the year, including about 155,000 killed. While the figure cannot be independently verified, it aligns with estimates from Western officials.
Potential mobilization after Russian elections
Russia’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for next month, and Zelensky believes a fresh mobilization will follow. He expects the new call‑up to focus on areas outside major Russian cities. “We are confident that after the elections they will carry out a mobilization,” he said, adding that the 300,000 newly mobilized troops would likely be deployed to the eastern front.
Zelensky told his generals to press for the occupation of Donetsk by year‑end, but he also warned that the Russians would not succeed. “They’ll lose all 300,000 of these newly mobilized Russians there; we’ll wipe them out,” he asserted.
Current Ukrainian defensive posture
Ukrainian forces continue to hold roughly 20% of Donetsk, including strategic industrial towns such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Zelensky said it is unlikely Russia will fully capture the Donetsk region and suggested the possibility of Russian incursions into the northern Ukrainian oblasts of Kharkiv and Sumy.
He noted that while Russian troops have not yet entered the Bryansk region, military equipment is visible along the border.
Air‑defense shortfalls and U.S. support
On air‑defense, Zelensky contrasted the 675 Patriot missiles supplied to Ukraine in 2023 with a projected 264 for the current year, indicating a downward trend that depends largely on U.S. decisions. He recalled that former President Donald Trump had floated the idea of allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles under license, but later withdrew the suggestion.
Zelensky said that if the United States were to provide up to 10% of its Patriot stockpile, Kyiv would pay for the missiles, a move he believes could “make a huge difference” in saving lives and strengthening diplomatic leverage.
European missile shortages and Russian missile production
Ukraine also faces shortages of European‑produced Aster air‑defense missiles, despite a recent pledge from French President Emmanuel Macron. Zelensky said production is ongoing but insufficient, and a licensing agreement could speed up deliveries.
Regarding Russian ballistic missile capabilities, Zelensky estimated Russia’s military industry can produce about 1,300 missiles per year. He said Ukraine is actively hunting launch sites inside Russia and has developed its own long‑range drones and cruise missiles to strike targets across the border.
Technology and diplomatic outreach
Kyiv is seeking permission to use Starlink satellite imagery of Russian territory. Elon Musk, owner of Starlink, warned that such use could “lead to a major escalation” but expressed a personal desire for the war to end rather than continue.
Zelensky also indicated that the window for a negotiated settlement may extend through the summer of next year, before the U.S. presidential election campaign intensifies. He mentioned ongoing talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are working to outline realistic options for ending the conflict without demanding Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donbas.
The president concluded that while diplomatic avenues remain open, the military situation on the ground and the potential for a large‑scale Russian mobilization remain the most pressing concerns for Ukraine’s security.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
