Russia may launch another army draft wave before year-end - expert

That’s according to the chief of the Citizen. Army. Law human rights organization Sergei Krivenko, who spoke with the BBC Russian Service, Ukrinform reports.

He based his assessment on the previous similar precedent. In August 2022, taking war casualties into account, the Russian army could have up to 850,000 soldiers and officers in its ranks. Then a month after Putin issued a decree on increasing the number of servicemembers to 1.15 million, by nearly 300,000, a new wave of military draft was declared in Russia.

"Currently, the situation is repeating itself. Formally, the number has been increased by 170,000, but taking into account the losses, the Ministry of Defense (of Russia, - ed.) really needs to fill the gap of about 300,000 soldiers, again," Kryvenko reflects.

He says that as early as this December, Russian authorities may resume mobilization. "Perhaps, this is precisely what explains the unprecedented mass roundups of conscripts on the current draft stage– draft officers may be in a rush to deliver on their target numbers in order to prepare for the mobilization draft," the expert suggests.

As reported, sources close to the Kremlin and Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed in mid-August that the Russian army lacks reinforcements amid the highest casualty toll since the invasion of Ukraine. This may force the country's leadership to declare another wave of military draft.