In an April 6 interview with national broadcasters, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the 300,000 troops that Russia plans to mobilize by June wouldn't be the "final" draft.
Ukraine's military intelligence said earlier that Russia is likely to ramp up its mobilization efforts after Russian President Vladimir Putin secures his fifth term in office in March.
Putin signed a decree on March 31 to conscript 150,000 citizens as part of the regularly occurring spring conscription campaign. According to the U.K. Defense Ministry, Russia is likely recruiting around 30,000 people a month to help bolster its war effort.
Oleg Sukhov
On April 3, Zelensky said that Russia was planning to mobilize an additional 300,000 soldiers by June 1.
"It is not a fact that 300,000 will be the final number of troops which they mobilize," Zelensky said, adding that Russia "must be ready" to reach this figure by June 1, according to Ukraine's military intelligence.
Zelensky also described the military training in Russia as a "short" one.
"We see it by the Russian soldiers' training on the front line," the president said.
"Concerning their poor discipline, maybe they will not mobilize 300,000 (troops) by June 1, but we must rely on the data that we have and be ready (for it)."
Zelensky said Ukraine needs to prepare military personnel. According to the president, Ukrainian units must be staffed with "experienced people who went through combat coordination."
Ukraine's government aims to update the legal framework around mobilization in order to ramp up its number of available troops in 2024.
On April 2, Zelensky signed three laws on mobilization, making 25-year-old men eligible for the draft, among other changes. Yet, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is still considering a new draft of the mobilization law after its initial, contentious version was withdrawn.
Zelensky expects Ukraine's parliament to vote for the mobilization law "in the nearest days."
"It is vital. And this is not responsible at all – what they (the parliament) are doing," Zelensky said.
Brian Bonner
(Updated: )
