Russia Has Begun Assessing Its Readiness For Mass Mobilization
- 24.08.2026, 11:40
- 1,234
Georgia and Armenia are expecting a new wave of Russian immigrants.
The Kremlin is assessing readiness for a possible mobilization. At the same time, a final decision has not yet been made.
This is stated in an article The Wall Street Journal.
How is Moscow preparing for a possible mobilization?
According to Western intelligence sources, Russian officers flew from St. Petersburg to the Kaliningrad region last month. They were assessing the region’s residents’ readiness for a possible mobilization. Specifically, they were working out logistics related to housing, food, and arming new recruits.
Intelligence sources note that similar exercises are being conducted in other regions of Russia in case the authorities decide to mobilize.
At the same time, the Kremlin has not yet made a decision on a new mobilization.
According to Western officials, such a decision is unlikely to be made before the State Duma elections scheduled for late September.
In recent months, Russia has been unable to recruit enough new soldiers to make up for losses on the front lines.
At the same time, the advancement of Ukrainian drones has reduced the average life expectancy of a Russian soldier on the front lines to a matter of minutes, days, or weeks.
According to U.S. and European officials, due to a shortage of troops, Putin may be forced to announce a new large-scale mobilization.
The last mobilization in Russia took place in September 2022, when the front began to falter. This caused chaos in the country. Hundreds of thousands of men left Russia, causing a sharp increase in demand for airline tickets and resulting in hours-long lines at the borders with Georgia and Kazakhstan.
Now, rumors of a possible new mobilization in recent months are once again causing concern in Russia. Men are searching online for ways to leave the country in case a draft is announced.
Last week, the Russian Customs Service announced that traffic through the Verkhny Lars border crossing with Georgia had set a record: more than 20,000 people crossed in a single day. At the same time, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs denied these figures.
In recent weeks, real estate prices have also risen in countries such as Georgia and Armenia. Local real estate agents attribute this, in particular, to expectations of a new wave of Russian emigrants.
The publication notes that a new mobilization could strengthen Russian positions on the front lines and accelerate Putin’s advance toward Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. However, if it is carried out at the end of the year, when combat operations slow down due to winter, the practical effect of such a decision will remain unclear.
American expert Michael Kofman believes that a new mobilization is unlikely to be decisive for Russia this year, but could influence the course of the war in 2027. According to him, if Moscow has specific plans to capture the remaining part of the Donbas as early as this year, the mobilization should have been carried out several months ago.
At the same time, a large-scale mobilization would place a serious financial burden on the Russian economy, which is already in a difficult position. The new soldiers will need to be fed, housed, armed, and paid for their service, while also leaving an already limited labor market. This will put enormous pressure on the budget.
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