Help us keep bringing the truth to light, even when Russia turns the lights out.

Shop and support
Uncategorized

Danilov: Twice as many draft-age Russians left country than joined army

• 0 min read

The number of draft-age Russian citizens eligible for mobilization who have left Russia is twice as high as the number currently conscripted, according to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksii Danilov.

"After Putin made such a big mistake… the number of people willing to fight against our country is decreasing exponentially," said Danilov, referring to Russia's mobilization that officially started on Sept. 21.

On Oct. 5, Vadym Skibitsky, a deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence, said that Russia has been conducting covert mobilization since May, when its forces had failed to achieve the tasks set for the invasion, including capturing Kyiv.

On Oct. 4, Bloomberg reported that over 300,000 Russians had fled the country since the mobilization announcement.

Avatar
The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

Read more
News Feed
 (Updated:  )

A ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Russian occupied city began as Russian forces launched ballistic missiles at other parts of Ukraine.

The investigation found that Russian designs for rocket-launched drones likely helped shape weapons China unveiled in 2025 and that Russian wind tunnels kept testing aircraft models for China's top arms maker after the invasion of Ukraine.

Show More