No mobilization under any circumstances – top Russian MP
Russia does not need another wave of mobilization due to the steady flow of volunteers signing contracts with the military, the head of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrey Kartapolov, said on Tuesday.
The Kremlin previously dismissed as “lies” Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s claims that Russia plans to mobilize 300,000 additional soldiers by the summer. Kartapolov addressed the rumor on Tuesday, insisting that “under no circumstances” would this happen.
“Mobilization is a closed chapter. Our current system of recruitment ensures the fulfillment of all the tasks we face within the framework of the Ukraine conflict,” Kartapolov told the RTVI media outlet.
The Russian military can achieve its goals with its existing manpower, the lawmaker said. He added that Moscow has no intention of starting a conflict with NATO, even though members of the US-led bloc continue to talk about “not letting us win.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in December that the country had 617,000 service members participating in the Ukraine conflict, 250,000 of whom were called up from the reserve in the autumn of 2022. Russian officials, including Putin, have repeatedly insisted there are no plans to announce a second wave of mobilization.
Last week, the Defense Ministry said more than 100,000 Russians have volunteered for military service since the beginning of the year, with 16,000 signing up in the wake of the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack in March.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has expanded its forced mobilization efforts. Last week, Zelensky lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to replenish the depleted army ranks. Land Forces Commander Aleksandr Pavlyuk warned on Monday that no citizen eligible to fight will be able to escape mobilization, as Kiev’s military continues to suffer personnel shortages.
