Moscow has not announced a new mobilization drive, but officials appear to be laying the groundwork for one so that forces could move quickly once a decision is made, according to the Journal, which cited Western intelligence findings. Inspection teams have been dispatched to multiple regions to run through the logistics of calling up troops, including how they would be deployed, fed and armed.
One such trip took Russian officers from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad in July. There, they evaluated the region's readiness for mobilization and tested related procedures, the Journal reported. Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, borders several NATO members.
Despite the preparations, the Kremlin appears to be holding off on any formal announcement until after Russia's Duma and regional elections, set for Sept. 18-20, intelligence assessments cited by the Journal suggest.
The prospect of mobilization has already begun reshaping Russian society, according to the report. Emigration from Russia has picked up, a trend human rights advocates attribute to mounting rumors of an impending call-up. Applications from Russians seeking jobs in Armenia have also risen sharply, the Journal reported.
Russia last launched a mobilization in September 2022, when the government ordered the call-up of 300,000 reservists in phases. Beyond mobilizing reservists, Russia has expanded its military ranks through several other channels, including contract enlistment, conscription, foreign mercenaries, prison recruitment and pressure on debtors.
Ukrainian intelligence has offered a similar estimate for a coming campaign, projecting that Russia intends to recruit roughly 300,000 more people in 2026, with the effort potentially extending into 2027. Kyiv says its assessment draws on internal Russian documents.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the recruitment drive is likely to be concentrated outside Russia's largest cities, sparing Moscow and St. Petersburg from the brunt of the call-up.
Ukrainian officials believe the newly mobilized troops would be funneled toward the Donetsk region to help establish a buffer zone near Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions. They have also raised the possibility that Russia is assembling a force capable of pushing toward the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.
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Source: Polish Radio