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Russia's mobilization arithmetic. How many can the Kremlin send to war?
Opinion

Russia's mobilization arithmetic. How many can the Kremlin send to war?

by Liubov Tsybulska

When Russia announced a "partial" mobilization in the fall of 2022, its society experienced a genuine shock. The queues at the Upper Lars border crossing into Georgia and the chaotic roundups of reservists are still fresh in public memory. The Russian authorities learned from that episode and shifted tactics toward a more concealed form of mobilization. Several tools were deployed at once: mass recruitment from prisons, sending convicts to the front in exchange for pardons, and aggressive enli

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Tuesday, February 17

Ukraine war latest: Drones strike oil, chemical plants in Russia as fresh peace talks begin in Geneva

Key developments on Feb. 17 * Ukraine, Russia hold US-mediated Geneva talks focused on 'practical issues,' negotiations to resume Feb. 18 * SBU strikes chemical factory used for explosives production deep inside Russia * Kremlin threatens to deploy navy if Europe seizes more Russian shadow fleet vessels * Oil refinery, port terminal struck in Krasnodar Krai amid joint deep strike on southern Russia, Ukraine says * Russian drone strike on civilian car kills 3 energy workers in Donetsk Oblas

Winter has grounded Ukraine's interceptor drones, gutting Kyiv's air defense

From his base near the hotly contested town of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, Vladyslav has, by his own estimates, downed upwards of 60 Russian drones using Ukrainian interceptor drones over the past year. Winter has exposed many foundational frailties in Ukraine's air defenses. Relentless Russian attacks utilising Shahed-type attack drones have left millions of Ukrainians in the dark and cold. The role of interceptor pilots like Vladyslav is more important than ever. Interceptor drones are f

Employees repair sections of heat and power plant damaged by Russian air strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 4, 2026.

Court sets $4.6 million bail for Ukrainian ex-minister in biggest graft case of Zelensky era

The High Anti-Corruption Court on Feb. 17 placed former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko in custody for two months in a major corruption case and set bail at Hr 200 million ($4.6 million). The official has been investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) as part of a case involving the state nuclear power company Energoatom. Eight other suspects have been charged, and Timur Mindich, a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky, is the alleged ringleader. Halushchenko den

'If you stop, you die' — Inside Ukraine's last fight for Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad

DONETSK OBLAST — Walking through the mine-infested field under intense Russian drone surveillance was the scariest part of the mission for 22-year-old infantryman Mykola. "If you stop, you die," said Mykola, a small-framed soldier with dark circles under his eyes and a tired stare. "When we were walking to get to the positions, it wasn't hard to walk — it was hard to realize that you may not walk out alive because there were a lot of our dead around." The walk to his positions near the easter

Valentyn, a 26-year-old platoon commander in the 25th Air Assault Brigade, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Jan. 23, 2026.

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