Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region has increased the stream of volunteers willing to sign contracts with the military and join the fight to defend the Motherland, President Vladimir Putin has said.
Speaking at a meeting of top officials on Monday, Putin noted that Kiev’s attack in Kursk – the largest assault on a Russian border region since the start of the conflict – had been aimed at undermining the morale of the population.
Ukraine wanted to “sow discord and division… to intimidate people, to undermine unity and solidarity” in Russian society, but has failed, Putin said. “Russian citizens have already responded: they unanimously expressed willingness to help those in trouble and support for the army,” he added.
“What is important, the number of those who are willing to join our men, our fighters, who defend Russia heroically with a weapon in hand, has increased.”
Putin said that, by attacking Kursk, Kiev had sought to divert attention from Donbass, where Russian forces have been steadily gaining ground in recent months. However, he added, offensive operations there have not slowed down, and have instead increased.
Russia announced a partial mobilization in the autumn of 2022, calling up some 300,000 reservists to hold the extensive front with Ukrainian forces, but has since relied strictly on a steady stream of volunteers signing contracts with the Defense Ministry.
In July, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a former president, revealed that around 190,000 citizens had joined the military as contract soldiers since the start of 2024. Last December, the Defense Ministry put the total number of contract soldiers at 640,000.
In June, Putin also revealed that some 700,000 soldiers were active in the conflict zone.
Ukraine launched an incursion into Kursk Region last week, with the attack reportedly involving some of the best brigades at Kiev’s disposal. While Ukraine made some gains, Moscow said its advance had been halted, with reinforcements arriving in the region.
Ukrainian officials have said that one of the goals of the offensive was to gain a better negotiating position for potential talks with Russia. However, Putin has ruled out any talks with Kiev, citing its indiscriminate attacks on civilians.