Kyiv (Rajeev Sharma): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Russia is preparing to mobilise at least 300,000 additional troops, warning that Moscow could deploy the fresh forces to intensify its military operations in eastern Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also renewed his appeal to Ukraine’s Western partners for additional air defence ammunition, particularly Patriot interceptor missiles, as Kyiv prepares for the possibility of intensified Russian attacks during the winter.
Zelenskyy Claims Russia Preparing Fresh Mobilisation
Zelenskyy said he expects Russia to end 2026 controlling roughly the same amount of Ukrainian territory as it held at the beginning of the year, despite what he described as heavy battlefield losses.
He claimed Russia had lost around 267,000 personnel since the beginning of the year, including approximately 155,000 killed. The figures could not be independently verified.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian President Vladimir Putin could deploy an additional 300,000 mobilised personnel depending on developments in eastern Ukraine, particularly Moscow’s efforts to capture the remaining Ukrainian-held areas of Donetsk.
“They’ll lose all 300,000 of these newly mobilised Russians there; we’ll wipe them out,” Zelenskyy said, according to CNN.
Moscow has not publicly confirmed the mobilisation plans described by the Ukrainian president.
Ukraine Steps Up Long-Range Strikes
Zelenskyy also defended Ukraine’s long-range operations against Russian logistics and commercial infrastructure, arguing that they were aimed at facilities supporting Moscow’s war effort.
Discussing a Ukrainian operation targeting infrastructure linked to Russian e-commerce company Wildberries, Zelenskyy claimed it had been carefully planned because the network was involved in supplying military-related goods and generating significant revenue for Russia.
He estimated direct losses from the operation at around one trillion rubles and claimed the wider financial impact could reach three trillion rubles after debts and restructuring costs were included. These estimates remain Ukrainian claims.
Zelenskyy also argued that public sentiment inside Russia was increasingly shifting towards ending the war. He claimed Ukrainian assessments suggested more than 60 per cent of Russians favoured an end to the conflict or a ceasefire.
Zelenskyy Seeks 300 Patriot Missiles For Winter
Air defence emerged as another major focus of Zelenskyy’s remarks as Ukraine prepares for winter.
The Ukrainian president said Kyiv had improved its ability to intercept Russian cruise missiles using aircraft and systems including IRIS-T and Hawk. Ballistic missiles, however, remain a major challenge.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants to secure 300 Patriot interceptor missiles as part of its winter defence package, although the Ukrainian Air Force has sought 360.
With annual production limited, he acknowledged that securing such a large quantity would be difficult and suggested Ukraine could purchase a small portion of existing US stockpiles.
He also said Ukraine’s Defence Ministry was facing a budget shortfall of around $27 billion.
Putin Warns Of ‘Catastrophic Scenario’
Russia, meanwhile, has presented a sharply different account of developments.
President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of having “opened Pandora’s box” by attacking Russian economic and civilian infrastructure and claimed Russian retaliatory operations were pushing Kyiv towards what he called a “catastrophic scenario.”
The competing statements come as the war continues with both sides increasingly targeting military, energy and logistics infrastructure while attempting to strengthen their positions ahead of the winter months.
