Ukraine believes Russia is preparing a draft of 300,000 additional troops following Russian parliamentary elections in mid-September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in comments released Sunday.
Zelenskyy told reporters that Moscow could draft further batches of conscripts in 2027 to reach an overall target of 500,000 soldiers, describing the plan as a “peripheral” mobilization that Russia would attempt to conceal from major cities. Parliamentary elections in Russia are scheduled for September 18-20.
Russia Ramps Up Missile Production
The mobilization announcement comes as Russia escalates both its ground offensive and air war on Ukrainian cities. Zelenskyy said Russia is aiming to develop a capacity to produce up to 1,300 ballistic missiles per year, a significant increase from current output.
Ukraine, meanwhile, is receiving fewer Western air defense systems. Zelenskyy noted that the 264 Patriot interceptors Ukraine is expected to receive in 2026 represent a sharp decline from 364 in 2025 and 675 in 2023. The shortfall has left Ukrainian cities exposed to intensified missile and drone barrages.
Fortress Belt Under Pressure
Fighting is intensifying around Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, part of what Kyiv calls its “fortress belt” of defensive cities. Zelenskyy said Russia was suffering “a maximum” number of troop losses in its push to advance through the area.
He also reported recent Ukrainian gains in southeastern Ukraine, saying the amount of territory occupied by Russia and liberated by Ukrainian forces in 2026 would be roughly equal by year’s end.
Putin said Saturday that Kyiv had opened “Pandora’s box” by striking Russian economic targets, warning that Moscow would retaliate against Ukraine’s “most sensitive economic sectors.”
$27 Billion Funding Gap
Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces a $27 billion defense funding gap this year due to higher-than-expected spending in the first half. He said at least $8 billion is needed for a “normal start” to 2027, plus roughly $20 billion more for military salaries, payments to families of the fallen, and other obligations.
The Ukrainian air force has requested 360 missile interceptors for the coming winter season, as Russia is expected to renew its campaign against Ukraine’s energy grid.
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