Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday (August 23) that Russia is planning to mobilize another 300,000 soldiers later this year in an attempt to fully occupy the eastern region of Ukraine.
Despite huge personnel losses suffered by the Russian army, Zelensky expects the amount of Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia by the end of this year to remain largely unchanged from the beginning of the year.
Zelensky stated, “Since the beginning of this year, Russia has lost 267,000 personnel, including approximately 155,000 confirmed fatalities.”
According to reports from CNN, these figures roughly match the estimates of Western officials.
Russian parliamentary elections are expected to take place in mid-September. Despite the mass protests and youth exodus triggered by the conscription in 2022, speculations about a new round of mobilization by Russia have never ceased. Zelensky said, “We are confident that they will mobilize after the elections. We believe it will not happen in major cities but will target ‘peripheral mobilization’ in remote areas.”
Zelensky believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will deploy these 300,000 newly mobilized soldiers based on the situation in eastern Ukraine and has instructed his commanders to complete the occupation of the Donetsk region by the end of this year.
Currently, Ukrainian forces are defending approximately 20% of the Donetsk region, including key industrial towns like Slaviansk and Kramatorsk. Zelensky asserted that the Russian military will not be able to complete the occupation, saying, “They will lose all 300,000 new Russian soldiers there; we will eliminate them.”
He added that Russian forces may also attempt border incursions in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions in northern Ukraine.
In addition to battlefield offensives, Russia is increasing pressure on Ukrainian cities through escalated airstrikes, further complicating Ukraine’s situation due to a severe shortage of American-made Patriot air defense systems for intercepting missiles.
Zelensky stated that Ukraine expects to receive only 264 Patriot intercept missiles in 2026, a significant decrease from 364 in 2025 and 675 in 2023. He added that Russia’s military goal is to develop the capability to produce up to 1,300 ballistic missiles annually.
To counteract these threats, Ukraine has upgraded its long-range drone strikes targeting Russia’s economic infrastructure, including refineries and large logistics warehouses. Putin responded on Saturday (August 22) by warning that Moscow would retaliate against Ukraine’s “most sensitive economic sectors”.
Regarding strategic resources, Zelensky discussed Ukraine’s efforts to gain permission to use the Starlink satellite system to capture images of Russian territory. According to Zelensky, Starlink founder Elon Musk has reservations, stating it “could lead to a significant escalation” and expressing support for ending the war rather than prolonging it. Discussions on this matter are ongoing with Washington.
Concerning peace negotiations, Zelensky mentioned that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are seeking a feasible solution; however, it is currently difficult to find a format that would both secure Russia’s agreement to ceasefire without requiring Ukraine to withdraw from Donbass. Both sides have agreed to condense all discussions into one page outlining realistic options for ending the war.
As winter approaches, the Ukrainian Air Force has requested an additional 360 air defense intercept missiles to protect the power grid, according to Reuters. Zelensky disclosed that Ukraine has signed agreements with France to deliver at least one SAMP/T air defense system this year and with Germany to supply about 600 PAC-2 and PAC-3 intercept missiles until 2028.
Moreover, due to higher-than-expected expenditures in the first half of the year, Ukraine is facing a $27 billion defense funding gap in 2026. Zelensky emphasized that at least $8 billion would be required in 2027 to maintain the military’s “normal operation,” with an additional $20 billion needed for financing military personnel salaries and pensions, among other financial needs.