Putin denies new conscript mobilization amid Economic Forum speech, against clear indications
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said he does not intend to send new conscripts to the front. Before the previous round of conscriptions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov assured that "there is no talk of mobilization." A few days later, the army called up 300,000 recruits.
4:53 PM EDT, June 7, 2024
Vladimir Putin spoke at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. The speech was broadcast on Russian television on the Rossiya 24 channel.
The Russian dictator said, among other things, that if Russia wants to achieve its goals in Ukraine as quickly as possible, the current forces may not be sufficient. However, he firmly denied the topic of recruitment and the sending of new conscripts to the front.
Putin said that if Russia wanted to do it quickly, the current contingent would not be enough. However, as he claims, they are using a different tactic – pushing the enemy out of those territories that should come under Russia's control.
Putin denies mobilization issue
In March, independent services "Meduza" and "Verstka" reported that the Kremlin wants to call up 300,000 new soldiers. The decision was already supposed to have been made. The announcement was to follow (in March) right after Putin won the presidential elections.
According to the Meduza portal, Putin himself raised the topic of mobilization in St. Petersburg and firmly denied that the army needed more people.
It's hard not to get the impression that Russian communication and diplomacy revolve around constantly denying the local government's evident intentions. This was the case during the aggression in Ukraine. Until the last day, the Kremlin insisted that these were just military exercises.
The authorities behaved similarly before announcing the mobilization—in September 2022. A few days before this event, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov assured that there was no talk of any mobilization in Russia.
New strategy for the Russian military?
In May, the "Financial Times" reported that the Russian military would have to change its strategy if it wanted to maintain an advantage on the front. According to sources close to the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces, without announcing another round of mobilization, the aggressor's army will not be able to carry out major offensive operations.
